Through your eyes
by sunANDdust
Summary: When Jake takes his brothers place in the Avatar programme, his younger sister Anna comes with him to Pandora. Out of a misunderstanding an own Avatar was created for her and opens the possibility for a new life at the hometree. A threatened life, since Anna feels that Quaritch plans to end it with violence.
1. Prolog

Hello everyone! This is my first story for „Avatar" and I hope you´ll like it.

Please review and tell me what you think, but don´t be mad at me for bad spelling and grammar. I hope my english isn´t THAT bad! Oh, and please don´t think I quit the story because I take my time to update. It´s a bad habit of mine but I like to check my story so I don´t deliver a bad chapter. XD

* * *

Well, this is the summary:

When Tommy´s shot dead and Jake shall take his place, he cannot leave his younger sister Anna behind. Her eldest brothers death affected the fifteen-year-old emotionally and Jakes hopes come true when they arrive at Pandora.

For the first time she´s happy again and Jake begins to worry a second later:

She may be a genius with animals, but a fifteen-years-old girl with an own Avatar employs Pandora?

* * *

„It´s about your brother."

I looked up at the guys face. He stepped into the room, followed by another one, both dressed in expensive suits.

They wore a businesslike expression on their faces and I turned my wheelchair around to face them. The wheels squeaked softly and I felt the second man muster me up and down. Well, I was used to people stare at me, but this time I needed to hold myself back from glaring at him.

The room was nothing but a stokehold, a prolate cardboard box lay on the floor and I knew what was in there.

I tried to look away but the paper casket seemed to call me with small soundless voices.

It really was a casket. My six-minutes-older twin brothers casket.

The first guy reached out his hand to me and I shook it. Then the second one guided me over to the cardboard box and I followed his steps in my wheelschair, stopping next to it.

A man in an overall appeared, removed the cover and reavealed my brothers face.

My dead brothers face.

That we looked completely alike was no secret and so I looked at my own face.

And couldn´t feel anything. But something about him, maybe his peaceful expression, made me remember how different we really were.

As children, as adults.

My father died because of cancer when Tommy and I were twelve and my mother carried my sister. She raised us three all alone and was most of the time worried.

I´ve always been the rebel somehow, always in trouble and nonsense in my head. Everything changed when I became marine and went to all the dangerous places in the world. Actually I liked it. I was far away from home and didn´t hear my mothers complaints and fears. Then I came to Venezuela and lost my youthul enthusiasm together with my legs.

I looked down onto them and felt that the workman mustered them too.

They were still there but absolutely useless. Not much better than losing them completely but luckily I still looked human this way. I´ve often seen soldiers without their legs and to me it was a picture from a nightmare. Tommy didn´t mind those pictures.

He was the talented one who wanted to study biology and make something of his life. After I had been injured, the army sent me back home. Nobody needed a useless marine at the army, but when I returned to my family, I noticed how much I was needed at home.

The first thing I was told, was, that my mother was dead.

These few words from my brothers mouth pulled the rug out from under my feet. She was shot dead by a bunch of small-time ciminals when she was out to do the grocery shopping and the most shocking thing was, that all this happened when I was at Venezuela and nobody informed me.

Luckily there was no time to think about it and I welcomed the problems my brother and I needed to face. My sister was only eleven years old and our mothers death hurted her the most. Now my brother and me were responsible for her and we tried our best. We became a thing like a family, my brother, my sister and me.

They eased the pain and a year after my return, Tommy decided to attend this „Avatar"-program. He studied three years and reached his doctor degree.

Now he lay infront of me. Skin as white as moonlight, closed eyes, I could see where the bullet stroke him.

So a week before Tommy´s gonna ship out, a guy with a gun ends his journey for the paper in his wallet.

One of the guys stepped beside me and looked down onto my brother. I didn´t look up, I knew he wanted to say something.

„Your brother represented a significant investment. We´d like to talk to you about taking over his contract."

This finally made me look up at him. He really looked like a businessman in his suit. He ignored my brothers corpse completely and looked at me as if his annoying glance could ease my decision.

I stared at him, then I looked away and back to my brother. Millions of thoughts moved in circles in my head.

Moving to Pandora?

Avatar-program?

Tommy was the scientist, not me.

„You are his twin and since your genome is identical to his, you could step into his shoes...so to speak."

The other one stepped behind me and I felt a second annoying glance drill into the back of my head.

They really want me to decide here and now?, I thought and watched the workman close Tommy´s casket and laden the incinerator with it. The window closed and locked and I pushed my wheelchair closer to the glass and watched flames burst out of the tubes.

„It´d be a fresh start on a new world."

„And the pay is good."

„Very good."

I tried to hold back a bitter grin. Pencil pushers!, I thought but didn´t answer. All they ever thought of was money and when they looked at me, they saw a possibility to save money they´ve invested.

Little did they know that there was something more important. I wasn´t alone anymore, I had to bear responsibility for someone.

I turned the wheelchair around until I could look at them and they knew that I´ve made a decision.

„Anna comes with me.", was all I said and a second later I heard the unbelieving gasp I expected.

„This is absolutely inadequate, Sully! You speak about amounts you have no idea of! Transportation of a civilian to Pandora, six years! Billet, rations! We won´t throw millions of dollars down the drain for a person which is absolutely useless for us!"

They got even more excited about my scandalous demand but I sat there-well, what else should I do?-and watched them gesture wildly. I waited until they stopped babbling and sat up a little more.

„You said: Throwing millions of dollars down the drain. What will be more expensive, gentlemen: Anna comes with me to Pandora and I´ll take on business? Or my sister and I stay at home and you take it from there?"

Their expressions froze and I had a hard time not to laugh. Their faces were hilarious and worth to take a picture of.

I knew, yet one of those Avatars was fucking expensive, the extra costs for Anna were nothing next to the wasted money for a not used Avatar.

I keep you on a short leash, buddies!, I thought and didn´t even bother to wait for their reaction.

„Think about it! When you reach a decision, let me know!", I said and moved over to the door. One last glance at Tommys burning grave and I left. The doors sound of opening and closing was everything that could be heard.

* * *

The hallways were nearly empty. Some people still worked though it was 9 p.m.

The wheels squeaked again, I hated those linoleum floors.

I turned the corner, still thinking of what´ve happened behind one of these doors. I breathed in air and prepared myself to explain the situation to her.

I looked up and saw her, she was still sitting on the same chair and gazed into spaze. Then her hand went up to her face and she wiped instinktively something from her cheek. She wanted to see Tommy, but then we arrived and she just couldn´t. Her legs began to shake, she sobbed hysterically and I nearly commanded her to stay outside.

I sighed and moved over to her, stopped next to her and waited.

She seemed to notice that someone was next to her but instead of recognizing me, she cringed.

„My gosh!" Anna pressed her right hand on hr heart and sighed. „Do you have to sneak up on me everytime and scare me like that?", she complained, shaking her head in disbelief. I noticed the tears in her eyes.

„I´m ready, can we go?", was all I said and she nodded.

She lifted her bag from the floor and walked next to me along the hallways, opened the countless doors for me and tightened her jacket around her body when we opened the main entrance door.

It was cold outside, artificial light in every single colour lightened the night and for one moment we stopped and stood.

I noticed how pretty she looked in that black dress. Her hair shimmered in an indefinable colour, but I knew it was a warm chocolate brown, my mothers haircolour and the colour she inherited to all of us.

Her blue-green eyes filled with tears and I stopped to examine her like a doc.

„How did he look?", she muttered and looked down to the floor. She acted like a stepped dog.

I wiped my eyes with my hands, I was so tired.

„He looked like Tommy." She countered my answer with a bugged snort and rolled her eyes.

„I know that he looks like Tommy, dumbass! Did he look peaceful or horror-movie-like?", she asked and I sighed. Such rare moments overhelmed me sometimes. She was the child and I was the adult, but sometimes we seemed to switch parts and suddenly I was the child and she the adult woman.

„He looked pretty calm."

Anna nodded and her long hair nodded together with her head. I took her hand in mine and she looked at me.

„Now it´s just the two of us.", I said and knew that this black dress of hers was nothing but one last proof of love for Tommy.

The streets were full of life and I cleared my throat. There was something in the air and Anna felt it. „What´s wrong?", she asked and looked pretty suspicious.

Tom and I were the older brothers and we got along pretty good though more than ten years seperated us. Tommy and Anna were a good team after Moms death and I often wondered how similar they were, just as if they were the twins and not Tommy and me. Anna was blessed with her interest in everything and everyone, loved nature and especially animals. There was no animal in the world she was afraid of.

Her eyes hardened. „Jake Sully, I feel there´s something cooking and I want to know what it is!", she said and again I was overhelmed by the realization that she was fifteen yet.

„Well, I talked with those morons of businessmen and they made a really tampting offer, but I wanted your approval before I agree."

That was it. This secret-mongering of mine woke her suspicion even more. Neither Tommy nor me were famous for restraint and most of the time we diclosed everything to everyone immediately. My um and err was the worst thinkable strategy to tell her about Tommys contract.

That moment I really wished he would show up and clear up this shit.

Tommy was the scientist. He was the one who wanted problems and riddles as job, not me. I sighed and told her everything.

* * *

Anna lay the flowers down onto the grave. She wore her black dress again and she looked pale and sad. I sat next to her and watched her.

„Do you think he will miss us both?", she asked and sounded like a child. But I was the last one to make fun of her and thought about it.

„I guess he will be with us.", I said and poked her softly. I knew it was hard for her, much harder than for me.

Sometimes I wondered if she really saw the world through her eyes or if she felt everything. My sensitive, little sister!

In her company I felt both, younger and older.

I send one last glance at Tommys simple grave. Bye, brother!, I thought and knew he could hear me.

Then we both left the cemetary. Tommys ashes would rest in this last piece of green earth.

We went back home and took our packed bags. It wasn´t much, all we had for life was my injured person´s pension and that was enough to starve.

Our three rooms were sold and we walked along the streets as homeless.

Anna didn´t say anything and I didn´t disturb her. I got used to her silence, because I knew that silence would help her heal.

Two days after my little visit at Tommys fomer boss` place, they send a colleague to inform us about our journey. I knew they would play along. They needed me and I would never leave Anna.

I mustered the young woman that walked next to me. Though I could not walk anymore and though I had left her for many years, she never eliminated from me. Now she was about to accompany me into the unknown and accepted everything without complaints.

When I first told her about my plans, I expected her to pelt me with dishes.

But surprisingly she stayed scray calm and I believed in silence before the storm. Then she asked me everything about Pandora and the Avatars and the few information sI had about the natives. We talked until late at night, I could tell from her alarm clock that it was nearly 4 a.m. in the morning.

Anna fell into her bad and she smiled with closed eyes, when I kissed her goodnight.

This became our own little ritual. Every night I would say goodnight.

Pretty hockey!, was all I thought when it started but now...

Now it´s just the two of us. That were my words and I wondered if I wasn´t a lovesick idiot.

I loved my sister that much, I was selfish enough to take that fragile creature with me to one of the most dangerous planets ever, a planet we would need six years to reach. I knew that she coul have a life on earth, but that would mean I would never see her again. I lost my father, I lost my mother and I lost my brother. She was everything that remained.

Six years of sleep. No feelings, no nature, no...nothing.

That was her only worry, but I told her what Cryo was and she swallowed the bitter pill without further comments.

Anna took my hand and ripped me out of my thoughts. Her eyes sparkled and she didn´t seem pretty worried or scared anymore. She was curious for the nature and the animals and of course the natives. She loved everything that waited for her to be discovered.

And increasingly I knew that there would be something new, six years far away.

One life ends, two begin.

* * *

Well, this is the prolog. I hope you like it and review! ^^ And if you do, please tell me what you liked and what wasn´t good, k? Sorry again for bad english. Sackclothes and ashes! XD

Love, LR!


	2. Something new

Helloooooooo ^^ This is my second chapter and I´m pretty happy that someone likes my story. Well, there´s only the prolog up but I guess the first chapter or the prolog is the most important : )

I want to thank my two first reviewer (if this word exists XD): Bigoldfrog and GreenpplOMG. Thanks for your honest opinion!

Well, I also want to thank horsechick27 and newty01 that chose „Through your eyes" as one of their favourite stories! ^^ hope you´ll read in future and maybe review!

Here I go!

* * *

Annas POV

I cringed.

My whole body tensed up and my eyes flew open. The first thing I saw was a plastic wall a few inches from my face and something like blue air between.

I wasn´t claustrophibic but suddenly I nearly panicked.

I wanted to move, I couldn´t move.

A wire mesh tightened around my trunk and pressed my arms against my rips and hips. Where the hell am I?, was all I could think and tried to remember.

And suddenly the feeling of numbness faded away, a pillow seemed to be removed from my ears and my breath eased.

Memories swamped my mind. Mom, a studying Tommy in the kitchen, Jake in a wheelchair, Tommys grave, Jake and me entering a building and a shuttle, a plastic locker...

A soundless „Oh!" wrested from my throat when the room began to move with a muffled thrum and backed out of something that Jake has called a fridge.

Bright light blinded me and I frowned. My eyes blinked helplessly and the light seemed to fall through my eyes into my brain and caused a vicious headache.

A man, dressed in white, came over to me. The minimized gravity allowed all the people aborad to...fly.

„Morning, miss. You slept well?", he asked and smiled, while he unchained me from the wire mesh. I didn´t know what to say.

My brain had a hard time to handle that I just woke up from a pretty long sleep.

I felt the mans eyes on me.

„It doesn´t feel like six years."

He laughed.

„That´s the general idea, young lady.", he said and pulled me out of my frozen bed, then he disappeared. I felt weightless, free and began to move my arms and legs, while I looked around. The hall was full of technological stuff, the crew checked everything while the other people around me woke up one after another.

I looked down and recognized the clothes I´ve worn when the mission started, the same shoes, the same jeans and the same t-shirt. My hair was as long as six years ago, but though Jake told me that I wouldn´t really age while Cryo, I was afraid to look into a mirror.

The man returned and pulled me with him. He dragged me over to a locker and handed me a small piece of paper. „This is your code for the locker. Your stuff is in there. You may feel dizzy or queasy so if you feel like puking, please use the plastic bag. See ya!"

He gave me a wink and disappeared again. I opened my locker and stopped in a moment of realization when I looked into my own eyes.

There was a mirror at the hind wall and shocked me. Well, there wasn´t anything to be shocked about, I didn´t feel older and to my relief I looked like I did before on earth, leaving aside the fact that my skin was awful pale.

Then I called myself a fool: What did I expect? These six years were nothing but a second of darkness. I closed my eyes and opened them again and six years were over.

Oh yeah, I acted like a scared child.

„You look horrible!"

I cringed for the second time today and turned around. Jake came over to me and gave me a bear hug. I was relieved, happy. His presence made feel safe.

He looked as pale as me but somehow satisfied with his situation. He needed his wheelchair to move, now he could fly and move without the so-called „monster".

It made him grin and eased this strange feeling inside of me.

Everything felt...wrong. The last time I felt this way was when my mother died and I tried to go on with my daily life. I couldn´t concentrate, my head hurted and all I wanted to do was to lie in bed and stare at the roof.

Everything was upside down.

Now I tried to look angry, but I failed bitterly.

„I told you not to sneak up on me, remember? When you first came up with this, I thought it was nothing but an older brothers furtiveness. But now I rather think you like to lift my heart attack risk on purpose.", I said and he knew I wasn´t really mad at him.

„I´m an ex-marine.", Jake justified and let go of me. „Old habits die hard."

I made a face at him and watched him approach his own locker.

Then I turned around sighing and mustered my reflexion again. I don´t look that bad, fair to middling. I have the same balky hair just like Tommy and Jake and the same eyes. My reflexion looked back at me and wore the same sour expression, so I grabbed my things, slapped the door close and tried my best to approach Jake, who had a hard time not to laugh.

He watched me fight with the gravity and grabbed my hand to help me.

Two crew members waved us nearer, a door openened and one after another the Pandora newbies entered the separated room, inclusive Jake and me.

He led me straight through the room and pulled me next to him in the corner.

We watched all the other people stream through the portal, looked at different faces, varying in colour and age.

Very young guys, a great many of them not even twenty, old graying veterans with scarred bodies, swearing rednecks and absentminded professors, but the major part of them seemed in their late twenties.

Some of them mustered me with this typically male expression and I felt Jakes hand tighten around mine. I looked up and couldn´t helpt but grin.

Jake wore his Touch-my-little-sis-and-you-die-look, something pretty efficient. His eyes checked every single man that entered the room and was busy with scaring them away.

Tommy was in no way inferior to Jake, both of them were overprotective when it came to boys.

In this matter they had nothing to fear. Neither was I highly conveted nor did I care about those few statements of male attention. At my old school was no guy who wouldn´t call me ugly. A lot of them loved to look at me and tell me what they thought about my visual identity. Well, it never hurted me that much, they were fifteen at most and the major part of them seemed as if they had learned how to walk upright the day before.

Guys like them looked only at girls with mini skirts, high heels and awful lot of make-up. The one day I noticed this fact made me stronger and suddenly I was pretty happy that none of those guys liked me. I knew that I was rather beautiful and that was everything I asked for.

I couldn´t stop grinning in amusement, turned around to faced the wall for a moment and pressed my hand onto my mouth.

The room was calm and laughing out loud wouldn´t appeal to all the others.

It would be as good as if I had a shingle around my neck with „Look at me!" on it.

Jake noticed my muffled laughing and looked a bit confused. But I pulled myself together, waited patiently until the gravity became normal again and we sank to the floor.

Jake lay his arm around my shoulder and I groaned, afaraid to collape under his weigh. I utterly forgot that Jake needed his wheelchair. The exit opened and a man entered the room, while all the other people disappeared. He carried the folded wheelchair, flipped it open, left and didn deign to look at us.

„Thanks.", I muttered and helped Jake to sit down.

I saw frustration in his eyes and knew how much he hated the feeling of not being able to move around without this thing.

Now that we touched the floor again, I felt a little uneasy on my legs. The other men seemed much taller and substantial studier than before and suddenly I felt awful tiny and weak and wondered if all this had been a good idea.

But I had no time to worry, Jake took my hand and pulled me with him.

Together we followed the other marines along the hallways, the shuttle gave us a good shake and a voice through the loud speaker told us that we were in our final descent. I had a hard time to walk straight ahead and Jake laughed at me while his wheelchair moved as solid as a rock.

We passed another door and a man on our right handed us something like a plastik mask surrounded by rubbergaskets.

He gave us a strange look then ordered us to sit down. It was a long hall and all the others sat yet. I looked down, put my bag on the floor and sat down too.

I knew that all eyes were on Jake and me. On me for being the only woman and on Jake for being wheelchair-bound.

My big bro send them a defiant look, dropped his bags, then he lifted himself from his wheelchair and onto the seat.

A black guy with a confident expression entered the room and walked down the hall and back to the door where it began. He mustered every single person and gave Jake and me the same strange look as the other guy before.

I could tell from the way he walked, that this man was used to command and that everybody followed his instructions immediately.

„I´m your commander for this short moment and I suggest to put on your Exopacks. This air out there is nothing but sheer poison. Breath it in and you will be unconcious in forty seconds and dead withing one minute."

We all did what he said and put the so-called Exopack on.

Our shuttle began to shook again, my back slammed into the wall and I gasped in pain and surprise when I was thrown forwards.

At the very last moment I could grasp the seat belt behind me. The others struggled with the same problem, one of the youngest marines couldn´t hold on to something fast enough and so he was pulled from his seat and crashed on the floor. He didn´t stand up anymore.

I looked away from the lifeless body and held on the seat belt for dear life.

I couldn´t look over to Jake though I really worried about him. But soon it was all over and the commander who had been as calm as if we went for a visit to the zoo, pushed the button to open the ramp. It lowered with a nasal buzzing sound.

He planted himself in front of us, blocking the exit, and crossed his arms infron of his chest.

„Keep your Exopacks on, no deads today, it doesn´t look good on my report. Now get out!"

And suddenly the others formed lines and ran down the ramp.

„Oh, shit!", I gasped and jumped up, grabbed my bag and Jakes, who hurried to sit back on his wheelchair and then I stumbled outside, followed by Jake.

„Come on! It´s not my job to wait for special cases and stupid children.", the commander yelled and frowned. I looked down, not sure of what to say, Jake frowned back.

And then we entered the other world.

From that moment on I felt my jaw drop and couldn´t stop staring. I stared like a child. I nearly collapsed under the three bags but nothing, really nothing could steal my attention away from my surrounding that moment.

The first thin I saw were plants, a huge ancient forest. Their leaves shimmered in every single tint of green and blue and some of the trees seemed as tall as skyscrapers.

„A forest.", was everything I could whisper. I was a child of Earth where trees were historic sights and animals existed only as pets or food. On Earth, nearly no birds could be seen on the horizont and here, on Pandora, the sky was filled with life. I closed my mouth and looked over to Jake who moved straight ahead and seemed also pretty stunned, but I knew that he wasn´t stunned by the incredible nature but rather by technology.

„Jake, wait!" I ran after him and nearly fell, when he abruptly stopped and grabbed my hand. A monstrous robot passed by and I would´ve been crashed if Jake weren´t there. I could see that a person was inside. The man loooked down on me, mustered me, then he turned around and the robot followed his movements.

„Holy shit!", Jake whispered and his eyes followed the huge robot.

I smiled.

Ex-marines never change!, I thought and pointed at the robot.

„A Mitsubishi MK-6 Amplified Mobility Platform.", I said and Jake looked up at me. I knew this kind of look and made a face at him. He always looked at me that way when he read the word "smart ass" on my forehead.

„It´s an AMP Suit."

He seemed to remember, Tommy had told us pretty much about all the technology they worked with on Pandora. Those AMP Suits weren´t anything new but it was stunning to watch them in real life.

Tommy...

I felt as if a big wave of sadness overhelmed me and suddenly I needed to hold back from crying. Tommy was the chosen one to see all this. He spent three years of life to study for this adventure and now he would never see all this.

He was dead.

I knew how much he would´ve loved this, Tommy loved the nature he´d never seen and this planet would´ve been heaven to him.

The AMP passed and Jake moved forwards until he noticed that I wasn´t right beside him. He turned around and I noticed his eyes on me.

„Anna, what´s wrong?", he asked and his voice was worried. Then he saw the tears in my eyes and came back to me.

He took my hand and I tried to blink my tears away.

You´re such a fool!, I told myself and lowered my head to hide my face from all the curious men around us.

Jake pulled on my hand for two times until I looked at him.

„Why are you crying?", he asked and looked a bit embarrassed. He never liked a crying Anna because he never knew how to handle it. A lot of people called him stone-hearted but I, his little sister, knew that he just didn´t know how to react.

„It´s nothing, I just thought of Tommy. He really would´ve loved Pandora.", I said and shrugged my shoulders. After all I couldn´t hold back my tears.

Jake nodded and his eyes spoke of immense love. „I miss him too."

The stone-cold ex-marine sat in his wheelchair and wasn´t so badass-like anymore.

I tried to smile, comforted by his worry. I knew that jake loved me, he´d ever loved me. I was his little sister, he was the man with a big future as Avatar operator and Jake risked it all for me.

I squeezed his hand.

„Nevermind. Tommy will be with us.", I said and pulled him after me.

We crossed the huge landing field and passed by a lot of people.

I looked around nervously. In better words, we passed by a lot of men.

The one who noticed us poked his comrade with the elbow and nodded in our direction.

They laughed and joked around. One of them gave me a wolf whistle and I heard his words clearly when he said: „Guys, look at this! Damn, Pandora gets interesting!"

I felt Jakes hand tighten around mine, but he stayed calm. Luckily. Well, whatelse should he do? He may was an ex-marine, but also a wheelchair-bounded ex-marine.

I lowered my eyes until we entered the building and all these guys were far away. Some people led us up the stairs and along an endless amount of hallways until we reached a big hall.

„Looks like a cafeteria." I whispered and Jake grinned. The huge room was full of people and I recognized them as all the other Pandora newbies. They sat around and listened to grayhaired hulk. Everybody, the gray-head included, wore clothes in camo colours and suddenly I felt strange in my jeans. Not that I liked those army clothes, but Jake and me in our ordinary clothes really made a spectacle of ourselve.

I sat down in the background and put the bags down, Jake stopped next to me and then we listened to the musclehead.

I didn´t like him. He walked as if there were razor blades in his armpits and everything about him made me think: Idiot!

I didn´t listen to him, he seemed to talk about security measures but Jake watched him walk around and seemed pretty amused.

„Nothing´s more soothing than a good old safety instruction.", he whispered and I shrugged my shoulders.

„I´m not interested in old redecks puppet theaters.", I said and Jake pressed his lips together to muffle his laughter. I looked back at the gray-head and noticed that he mustered Jake and me. I looked back arrogantly until his eyes switched over to Jake who looked back in the same way. The only thing I really heard from his speech, was his name and his rank: Colonel Miles Quaritch, Chief of Security of „Hell's Gate".

I guess I´m the only one who doesn´t hang on his every word., I thought and mustered the others, people I would spent a lot of time with.

Suddenly Jake turned around and grabbed one of the bags and noticed my questioning look. „You shouldn´t carry this all alone. It´s way to heavy for you, princess.", he said teasingly and grinned. Then I noticed that all the others streamed over to the exit and jumped up. I rose my brows. „Watch out so you don´t break your back.", I said and took the other two.

Together we left the cafeteria and walked along the hallways. Jake handed me a piece of paper. „Can you read that for me, sis? I cannot move with one hand." He said and I unfolded the paper. There was a room number on it and our names.

Room: 8415; Jake Sully, Anna Sully.

I looked up and searched for the right number on the right door.

„May I lead you to your six star suite, Mr. Sully?", I aped a liftboy and heard Jake laugh. „You really have Tommys humour, ya know?", he said and I was a littlebit proud of myself. I´ve always tried to be like Tommy. He was intelligent, educated and one of the best persons I´ve ever known.

Besides Mum and Jake.

„Hey...! Uhm...excuse me! Hey, you must be Jake Sully, Toms brother!"

I turned half around and noticed a tall slender guy with nut-brown hair and a friendly face. He reached his hand out to Jake who shook it, slightly surprised.

„Yeah, I am."

„Oh, and you must be Anna! Tom spoke a lot of you.", he said and gave me a bright smile while he shook my shyly offered hand.

„And who are you?", Jake asked and I was a bit embarrassed by his rudeness.

The man seemed to notice that he hadn´t inroduced himself to us.

„Oh, I´m sorry! Where are my manners? I´m Norm Spellman. I completed the Avatar training together with Tom."

I mustered him intensely and tried to remember. There were weeks when Tommy was at home and showed us photos and stuff he learned at the Avatar training. Sometimes he spoke of his comrades, one of them was Norm Spellman.

Norm seemed pretty nice, he was curious and obviously happy to see Jake and me, though he didn´t know us.

But I couldn´t blame him. I could understand that he searched for company that wouldn´t only speak about boozing, guns and broads.

„Come on, I´ll show you the Avatar section.", he said and turned the corner. Jake and I darted a glance at each other. He knew that I wanted to fall on my bed and sleep though I slept for six years.

I felt drained.

But he made that special face, that cute-Jake-face and was wax in his hands.

„Well, okay! Here we go again!", I groaned and he grinned back at me. Then we followed Norm along the crowded hallways to the Avatar section

My feet hurted pretty much and I couldn´t keep the route in mind. Then we stopped infront of an open door and Norm cleared his throat and entered.

„Wow! The main laboratory! I guess we´ll spent a lot of time in here!"

Neither Jake nor me answered. Jake looked around and felt obviously uneasy surrounded by all that scientific stuff and I couldn´t take my eyes elsewhere.

I walked over to a shelf and mustered every single object, most of them of technical character.

One of them caught my attention and the words escaped from my mouth before I really knew what I was doing.

„A Trackmate Microscope."

Norm turned around and came over to me, followed by another scientist and Jake. Norm looked pretty curious as if he nearly exploded because of his huge amount of questions. The scientist looked delighted.

„How do you know?", he asked and reached his hand to me. „I´m Dr. Max Patel. It´s nice to meet you." I shook his hand and smiled. „Pleasure is all mine. I´m Anna Sully."

He laughed. „I know. Actually everybody knows. The day we heard that Toms brother and sister appear instead of him a wildfire of news spread.", he said.

Jake screwed up his nose.

Norm looked at the microscope and then at me.

„Tommy showed me some pictures and explained how they work. A small high tech microscope capable of 250 times magnification.", I answered his question.

The scientists nodded, Jake rolled his eyes. I walked over to him and patted his shoulder.

Max laughed. „Well, it´s pretty soothing that Toms sister won´t be bored with us." He led us across the room and his face showed a thrill of anticipation.

„And I´m happy to give you a surprise."

He walked over to something that looked like an glass cocoon. Something was in there, something tall and blue.

The Avatars?, I thought and stepped closer. Max pointed at the left one.

„This is yours, Norm." The young man walked over to his Avatar and mustered it´s blue skin. I stepped beside him and looked at it´s face. „Wow! He looks pretty much like you!", I said and smiled at Norm and he nodded, excited like a little child that received a new toy. I turned around and saw Jake who moved over to the other cocoon. I walked over to him and looked at the familiar face.

It was a strange moment. I knew that this Avatar was planned as Tommys, now it belonged to Jake. I mustered my brothers face and noticed how thoughtful he looked.

„Looks like Tommy.", he said and turned half around to look at me. I nodded. „He also looks like you.", I added and saw him smile.

Max cleared his throat and I looked up. He grinned and shifted from one foot to the other. „Anna, may you follow me?"

He led me across the room and I noticed a third cocoon.

Wait, there are only two new Avatar operators., was all I thought and frowned.

I stepped even closer and cringed. My eyes widened and my jaw dropped when I looked into my own face.

Max grinned even more. „Welcome to Pandora!"

* * *

Well, it may be cocky but I have to clap myself on the back. This chapter is wonderful, I´m really proud. By my standards I wrote pretty fast and I checked it over and over and wrote that much. ^^ Oh, I don´t know if my informations about the air at Pandora are right, but I was too lazy to turn on the movie so I gave my own informations. I don´t own Avatar or the characters, only my little Anna and my own story I connect with „Avatar". I really hope you like it and review. Pls, pls, pls!

Love, LR!


	3. Outsiders

Hello guys ^^ This is chapter three and I hope my story isn´t boring. I want to apologize if my chapters are a bit verbose but I this is my style and I wouldn´t do it in another way. : ) I hope it´s good to read and you enjoy!

Well, I wan´t to thank Maya Potter Jackson, save the sharks, AnimeOtakuBara, Dusk2Dawn4ever, Naomi-nami16, Sailor Sacred Moon, compa16, GreenpplOMG, Inu-Shinta, Apoolyon214, FanGirl For Yaoi and newty01.

You guys are AMAZING!

Well, here I go, hope you enjoy and review. Have fun!

* * *

Jakes POV

The air seemed to rustled. I nearly felt that Annas body tensed up though I couldn´t see her. I turned around and tore my eyes away from my Avatar.

At the first Moment I couldn´t see her, the room was too stuffed with technological shit so I moved around.

„Anna?"

„I´m over here...!", she called out and I heard her voice shiver. I groaned.

What the hell are they doing to her?, was all I thought and the picture of crazy scientists that ate my little sis alive forced itself on my mind.

But then I found her and felt a bit relieved that she still had her arms and legs.

She sat on a chair, next to an extremely excited Max. I frowned and moved closer.

„What´s wrong?", I asked and examined her face. It was a mask of sheer surprise. She pointed at something in the corner and then I noticed the third Amnio Tank and wheeled closer, past Anna and Max and got an eyeful of what they all stared at. And felt my jaw drop.

There was a third Avatar, smaller than mine and much thinner. Long, silky hair caressed the female bodies back and shoulders.

I looked at my sisters face.

That was her oval face with the high, slightly rounded cheekbones, her low forehead, her lips and her eyebrows.

Max laughed. „You all should see your faces!"

I was surprised but a far cry from Annas surprise. I looked over at Max who seemed pretty amused. „You created an Avatar for Anna? Why that? Those idiots of bosses were nearly flabbergasted when I demanded that Anna would come with me and now they gave her an own Avatar? You´ve gotta be fucking kidding me!", I said and frowned.

This whole situation got increasingly rediciculous.

Max stood up and positioned himself next to the Amnio Tank.

„Calm down, Jake! I can explain!", he said and I could see that he had a hard time not to laugh again.

„We heard of Tommys death, may God rest his soul, and that his brother would take over his contract. But that wasn´t everything. We also heard that Jake Sully wouldn´t arrive all alone. His younger sister would accompany him to Pandora and that moment we all knew she was a gift from heaven."

He nodded in Annas direction who looked up at him.

„Why?"

„Because there are rules, princess. You came with your brother and that lifted the armory of scientsts to the great number of over 170 people. This means that the scientists make up more than 1 percent of all human on Pandora. In that case we have the right to require more research funds so we can create new Avatars."

He grinned.

Scientists!, I thought and rolled my eyes. Scientists at war with their financiers!

Anna frowned. „But I´m not a scientist!"

Max grinned again.

„Of course you are! Your documents got signed and as you may know, every personal document has to name the persons rank and purpose on Pandora. You weren´t named neither as soldier nor as scientist. You came as civilian and this rank doesn´t exist. The auditing agency allowed themselve a bad blooper and named you as „scientist". So we´re off the hook, they classed you as one of us and we can rake the money."

I shook my head in disbelief and rubbed my eyes. „I thought they need six years to grow? How did you raise this one that fast?", I asked and pointed at my sisters Avatar twin. Was all this real?

Anna sat at the edge of her chair and listened to Max with sparkling eyes.

I couldn´t believe that my baby sister was supposed to be an Avatar operator.

Max patted the Amnio Tank with one hand.

„We still owned some of Tommys genetic material from the time when my comrades created his Avatar. You needed six years to reach Pandora, didn´t you? Well, science never rests. We were able to designe genetical correlations between Tommy and you, Jake. Your genome is identical to his and out of that combound we created your sisters genetic material. We needed only four years for this one."

This huge amount of scientific stuff made me feel dizzy. „You know, you could speak in French and I would understand as much as now.", I said. Norm stepped next to me and laughed, I looked up at him.

„You knew that?", I asked and he nodded. „I didn´t want to ruin everything so I kept my mouth shut.", he said and gave me a wink.

Anna cheered and jumped up. She first flung her arms around Max` neck.

„Oh my god, I don´t know why me of all people but I don´t care!", she yelled, then she hugged a blushing Norm and last but not least, me.

„Oh my gosh, Jake! Isn´t that great?", she trumpeted into my ear and I couldn´t help but smile. She´d been so depressive when we left our former home and now she finally recovered her smile. A wave of love for her overhelmed me and I locked her in my arms.

Norm cleared his throat and stepped closer.

Anna turned around and took the bag Norm offered her. „This is a book about...well, about the Na`vi. I thought you may want to know more about them...", he muttered and turned red.

Anna shone with happiness and gave him a smile, causing a far worse blush on Norms cheeks. Then she noticed his flushed face and blushed too. I watched it with mixed feelings. She wasn´t a child anymore and again I noticed how gorgeous she was.

„We´ll start tomorrow, 8 a.m.", Max said and winked.

* * *

Annas POV

The alarm clock rang and I groaned. BEEP, BEEP, BEEP,...

My older brother kept on snoring and didn´t react at all.

A bomb could crush his bed and he wouldn´t wake up!, I though and rubbed my eyes. I sat up a bit and tried to detangle my hair. BEEP, BEEP, BEEP...

„Jake! You wanted to sleep down there, now turn the fucking alarm clock off!", I called and started my constant knocking on the bed frame.

Our room was akin to a broom closet but it wasn´t different from usual. Our former homes rooms weren´t much bigger. There was no cupboard so we kept our things in our bags, another door led to the bathroom.

Jake, who couldn´t use his legs, slept downstairs.

There was only a loose bunk bed for the two of us and Jake needed only to turn on the other side and I felt as if I slept on a ship. It seemed to collapse every moment but I stifled any complaints and so it was up to me to climb up to my bed every night in sheer darkness.

They switched off the light every evening at 10 p.m. to save juice and I was used to go to bed past midnight.

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP...

Jakes hand crashed onto the alarm clock and it abandoned its annoying sound.

My big brother yawned loudly and sat up.

„Sis, are you awake?", he asked and sounded pretty drowsy. I rolled my eyes and climbed down the bed frame.

„I am! The only one who´s able to sleep while the alarm clock goes crazy, is you!", I said, winked and walked into the bathroom to take a fast shower and get dressed.

I was just stepping out of the shower when Jake began to bang against the door.

„Quiet please!", I called back and slipped into my jeans. Armed with a towel around my head, I opened the door and let Jake come in. „Hurry up!" I said and closed the door behind me. Then I dried my hair as good as possible,.

A minute later he came out, fully dressed and ready to go.

My hair was still a bit damp but I shrugged my shoulders, threw the towel into the bathroom and together we left our room and headed to the Avatar section.

I felt my legs tickle with excitement and Jake seemed to notice.

„You walk pretty stiff-legged.", he said and I shrugged my shoulders. „I can´t help. Aren´t you curious for our new bodies?" I asked and couldn´t believe that he wasn´t happy at all.

He mumbled something but I didn´t listen. We entered the main laboratory, said good morning to Max and Norm who looked at me and blushed.

„I hope you liked the book...?", he said and his shyness made me feel uneasy.

I never had a problem to talk to boys or men...as long as they weren´t shy. „Yeah...it w-was pretty interesting. I read nearly the whole night and..."

„She really read the whole night.", Jake interrupted me and rose a brow. „I´m not sure if she even slept."

He send me a significant look and I giggled nervously. Norm turned as red as a tomato and didn´t say anything anymore.

Max watched the whole situation and then led us out of the room, crossed the hallway and entered the other room on the otehr side.

It looked like a comment center, people worked at the computers and the whole half-rounded room harbored a bunch of plastic caskets.

„This is where you link with the Avatars. A Link Unit", Max explained and walked over to one of the plastic boxes, flipped it open and uncovered the entrails.

It was a bodies shape casted in something that looked like rubber with a wire mesh where the rips were supposed to be. Max closed the box again and turned around, when a young woman passed by, grabbed something from her desk and ran back to one of the opening Link Units where a read-head appeared.

„Who's got my goddamned cigarette? Guys! What's wrong with this picture?", the person called immediately and wagged with her hand until the young woman reached her. Max walked closer and Norm, Jake and me followed him.

„There she is! Cinderella back from her party! Grace, I wanted to introduce somebody to you. Norm Spellman, Jake Sully and his sister Anna."

I´ve heard of Grace Augustine before, she composed the book about Pandoras vegetation, but I couldn´t tell if I imagined her that way.

A red-haired woman in her late forties with a willful face and brown, intelligent eyes that mustered everything and everyone with a scary self-confidence.

She didn´t look at Jake or me, her eyes wandered over to Norm.

„Norm Spellman? I heard a lot of good things about you. How´s your Na`vi?", she said and Norm began to gesture and uttered som strange noises. Grace answered the same way and Norm blushed and mumbled.

I saw Jakes eyes switch from Grace to Norm and back again and he frowned.

I remembered some of their words, Tommy had taught me some of them.

This was the natives language. I heard something like `great mother` and that Norm sounded a bit formal. It was a strange feeling when no one knew that you understood their bafflegab and I pressed my lips together to stop myself from grinning.

Max cleared his throat.

„Grace? This is Jake Sully and that´s his sister Anna. It´s due to them that we received our research funds.", he repeated and Grace` eyes switched over at Jake and me. I smiled and Jake reached his hand at her. „Ma`am."

Grace only looked at him.

„Yeah, I know who you are. I know that you and your sister came here and obtained our money for us and I don´t need you. Neither you nor you.", she said and pointed at Jack and me back to back.

„An Avatar for the child, what an awful waste of money. I´ll never understand why she needs an Avatar!", she hissed and took a pull on her cigarette.

Max cleared his throat again.

„Because they´ll cancel our funds if we don´t use them for new Avatars and Anna was the only Avatar operator without one. The costs for an Avatar are nothing next to the total amount. In addition she can learn.", he explained but Grace didn´t listen.

„I need your brother, ya know? The man with doctorate and the special training for this."

My smile faded away. Jake looked up at me and grabbed my hand, Grace eyes followed his movements and locked on me.

„He´s dead.", Jake said and I heard the anger in his voice. „He´s dead and I couldn´t leave my sister all alone. I know it´s an awful burden to everyone."

I squeezed his hand and he calmed a bit, then I looked up at Grace.

„Jake may not be a scientist but owns different skills, trust me.", I said and didn´t cringe under her look. She examined my face.

„And you are this child. How old are you? Twelve?", she asked and I hated her arrogant voice.

„No I´m fifteen and graduated yet.", I said and didn´t let go of Jakes hand.

We were in this together, we were the losers. But Jake always told me: No matter how much you try to shellac them, they can still beat you.

„I guess it´s a clean waste of time if I ask you about your skills?", she asked and took a pull on her cigarette.

„I speak a littlebit Na`vi and I´m really good with animals.", I said.

I knew, in her eyes all that was nothing but I wasn´t daunted by her arrogant eyes.

She seemed to notice that and shook her head in annoyance.

„Okay, nevermind. We will see. Those Avatars are incarnate researching funds so get the party started.", she said and turned around.

„Come on, marine. Max, please take care of our little princess.", she said and I was pretty tempted to show her the finger.

But Jakes warining glance held me back and so I followed Max over to one of the Link Units.

He flipped it open and told me to lie down. I followed his commands and then he closed the wire mesh around my trunk.

„I guess this is your first time?", he asked and I nodded, strangely nervous.

He patted my shoulder.

„Calm down, Anna. Everythings okay and Grace may wear her heart on her sleeve, but I read your school file and I´m sure that you will acclimate in no time.", he said and I really calmed a bit.

„Close your eyes and relax. Your mind will connect to your Avatar and you will wake up as if you were asleep, okay?"

I nodded.

Max smiled at me, closed the cover and I nearly panicked again.

But I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and gasped in surprise when the darkness turned into a tunnel of colours and everything went white.

* * *

Voices reached my ears and I frowned.

Maybe it didn´t work?, I thought and waited for Grace` angry voice to break the silence. But there was no angry voice.

I tried to open my eyes and everything I saw was white light. Then I could make out the outlines of two people that bend over me. A woman and a man.

„Anna? Can you hear me?" The womans voice came from far away and seemed to echo. I couldn´t react fast enough so the man blinded me with a bright light and said something I couldn´t understand.

I turned my head to the side where I could see two motionless bodies: Jakes and Norms Avatars. And then I panicked.

„Where´s Jake?" I said and my voice sounded strange. The woman smiled.

„It´s okay Anna, don´t worry. Your brother and Norm need mor time to link. How do you feel? Do you feel dizzy?"

They helped me to sit up and I blinked once, blinked twice and looked at my feet. They were blue.

My eyes widened and I lifted my hands to look at them, then I examined my shoulders and wherever I touched my skin: it was blue.

I´m linked with my Avatar!, I thought and couldn´t hold back a giggle.

The woman laughed when she saw my stunned face.

„Is everything okay? Can you sit alone?", she asked and I nodded absently.

I moved my fingers, one after another and watched my muscles and sinews move under my skin.

„I look like a smurf!", I called out and laughed, swung my legs around and placed them on the floor. The world turned too fast and too hard and suddenly I felt horrible dizzy.

„You don´t look like a smurf, you´re a beautiful Na`vi. Look!", she wanted to hand me a mirror but I declined it with thanks. „Can I stand up?", I asked and didn´t wait for permission. My legs felt weird, strangely long and clumsy and I had a hard time to stand on them.

The woman stepped back and gasped when I stumbled.

„Wow, relax! We don´t have to hurry!" she said and tried to make me sit down again but I didn´t ract. My legs felt stronger, the world wasn´t that big anymore. All the other people reached only my waist.

I was about to take my first step, when I heard the other docs behind me sigh in relief.

„Jake? Can you hear me? Jake?"

„Hey, guys...!"

I turned around and watched my older brother blink when the other scientists examined his pupillary reflex with a small flashlight.

Jake slowly sat up and his face showed sheer surprise when he moved his feet.

He didn´t notice me and so I took the opprtunity to watch him. His Avatar looked much like him, it was his face, his human grin and the way he moved.

The Avatar moved his feet and I felt an immense love for him. I could imagine the feeling of not being able to walk or move my legs. It was a shock when Jake returned from military service and sat in a wheelchair. I didn´t know how to react but a minute later I realized that he may lost his legs in a way but he still was the same though it hurted him.

All the more I could feel his happiness. A happiness born out of dawning joy.

I sopped up this picture to keep it in mind. That moment he looked so happy and clear of worries...

„Do you feel dizzy or something? Oh, you waggle with your toes, that´s excellent!"

Then Jake looked up and his eyes widened when he looked at me. I couldn´t help but smile. „You look fantastic!", I said and his jaw dropped as if I was a ghost or something.

I rolled my eyes with freigned annoyance.

„Yeah, it´s really me, Mr. Sully! You´re neither asleep nor crazy!", I said and walked over to him. Jake jumped up from his couch just to sit down immediately. He gasped and slapped his hand against his forehead. I kneeled down infront of him and took his other hand. „Are you alright?", I asked but he didn´t answer.

He grinned and I gulped. It was his famous grin when he had his head full of nonsense.

I squiented to the left and to the right, the doctors seemed alarmed, then I looked back at him and met his eyes.

„Jake, no!", I hissed soundlessly so he was the only one able to hear me. „Don´t be so fucking stupid!", I hissed louder but I knew it was too late. He stood up, waddled back and forth and his tail swung around. „Jake, watch out!", I yelled when he hit one of the docs with it and smashed some of the test tubes. He chuckled.

„Yeah, baby!"

He grabbed my hand and pulled me with him. The cables were ripped from my forehead and arms when he dragged me out of the room. The docs set up alarmed yells.

„Sedate!", I heard one of them and felt a shiver run down my spine. I tried to pull Jake back to the others but he was taller than me and way stronger.

„Jake, stop it! They´ll anesthetize us! Ow! Jake!", I yelled and dragged on his hand but Jake only laughed and snagged me without a word.

He opened the door to another hallway and I noticed that we were nearly naked. The only thing that covered our bodies was a hospital gown. I panicked.

„Jake, I cannot go out there! Look at me! Look at yourself!", I yelled again but he just pulled me with him, opened the door forcefully and pulled me after him into the light.

I pressed my eyes closed, the bright light hurted and I had a hard time not to fall over my own feet. Jake still held my hand and didn´t seem to care.

„Anna, open your eyes!", he said and chuckled again. I shook my head.

He squeezed my hand. „Honest injun! Open your eyes, you miss out on all the fun!", he said and I tried to blink. The light wasn´t that bright anymore and I fully opened them.

„Oh...my...god!", I gasped and looked around. The world was brighter, brightly colored and seemed to pulse with life. The forest extended as far as the eye could reach and he breathedbreathed.

I could hear it.

I could feel it.

Jake laughed.

I met his glance and noticed this little special smirk. „Jake!"

But he ran and I ran with him. We passed by other Avatars that played basket ball and looked after us when we ran across their playground.

We ran along fields of fruits, startled soldiers and scientists in their lunch hour and jumped over wire fences.

We ran until my lungs seemed on fire and then he abruptly stopped.

I gasped in surprise, fell over Jakes foot but he catched be, carried me like a bride and turned in circles until the world became a spinning kaleidoscope of colours.

* * *

^^ Wooohoooo! Those Avatars are great, aren´t they? I hope this wasn´t boring, but I needed a chapter between their arrival and their...(drums please)...nah! I won´t tell you yet, you´ll see in next chapter! ^^ Oh, and some of you asked me who´s planned as Annas love. Well, you may be disappointed but I won´t blow the secret. You will see! ; )

I really love my chapter and so I ask you for reviews! PLS, PLS, PLS, PLS, PLS, PLS, PLS, PLS, PLS, PLS, PLS, PLS, PLS, PLS, PLS, PLS, PLS, PLS, PLS, PLS, PLS, PLS!

Luv ya!

LR


	4. A forest mission

Hello everyone! ^^ First I want to thank all the people that reviewed, alerted or favoureted (I guess I just invented those words XD) my story, but I´m sorry that I cannot name them. That´s because my pc didn´t work and I just got it back from reparature so I´m not really up to date. I want to apologize that I couldn´t write and update and I guess I let you wait too long but I wanted this chapter to ROCK ya! ; ) Hope you love it just as me and REVIEW! ^^ Pls!

Here I go!

* * *

Jakes POV

„Hi. I´m Trudy."

I turned around and saw that blackhaired army woman walk over to me. I´ve seen her somewhere before, she reached her hand at me and I shook it.

„Jake Sully.", I introduced myself and pointed behind me. „And that´s Anna."

She grinned and I saw my sisters hand beside my face when she shook Trudys. „It´s nice to meet you.", Anna said and I could hear the smile in her voice and that was a rare situation when she met a person for the first time. But the sympathie seemed to be mutual. „Wow! I guess you´re the youngest chick I´ve ever seen on Pandora. Watch it, those guys up here can be kinda intrusive.", she said and laughed. I nearly felt how Anna blushed and rolled my eyes in annoyance.

Women vaporing!, I thought and cleared my throat.

„Nevermind, Jake! This way!", she said and seemed to be mightly amused while she dragged us over to one of the helicopters.

„I fly all the science sorties. And this here is my baby!" She skipped over to it and patted it as if it was a dog or something. I looked up at Anna and noticed the discomfort in her eyes when she looked around nervously. Obviously the bunch of weapons and machinery seemed to disturb her. She looked pretty sunk down, she hunched her shoulders and looked even smaller.

Well, I spend a few years together with weapons, they were my only chance to survive and so I never thought of people fearing them. A Marine without his weapon, that was a guaranty for early death.

„Hold on a second!" Trudys voice pulled me out of my thoughts and I watched her climb into the cockpit and pull on some cables. „Hey Wainfleet, get it done! We bounce at zero-nine!", she called over to a bald head who was about to fix a door gun at the helicopter. The guy grinned back dumbly. „Yeah, I´m on it, capitaine!"

Anna began to fidget and I took her hand. Her nervous movements caught some men looks. Bastards!, I thought.

„I don´t like it in here.", Anna whispered and squeezed my hand. „All these weapons make me so damn nervous. Why do we even need them? I thought we want to find a peaceful solution with the natives.", she said and I couldn´t help but grin. „An ex-marines sister. What a shame! There´s much more out there than the Na`vi, ya know?"

She made a face at me. „Yeah, I know, Mr. Sully.", she said and looked away, not a bit calmed. „Anyway, why are we here again?", she asked. I thought my joke may help but no chance! „Because the Colonel wants to talk to me."

She looked at me and rose one brow. „And I am here because...?"

„I need you as mental support.", I said and grinned again. She answered with a bugged snort but didn´t say anything anymore.

We watched Trudy jump from the helicopter and snarl at another crew member. „Vine strikes still loose!", she said and came over to us. I mustered the armament. „You guys are packing some heavy gear.", I said and followed Trudy, Anna behind me, when a vehicle stopped with screetching wheels next to us.

„Watch it!", Trudy snarled again and the pilots scared face made me grin. Trudy seemed to be the bouncer of flight line, all men feared her.

She grinned.

„Yeah that´s cause we´re not the only thing flying around out there, or the biggest. I´m gonna need you on a door gun, I´m a man short.", she said and I looked at her. „I thought you´d never ask.", I said and she laughed.

I knew that she would ask me, her crew was too small to protect her ship sufficiently.

She stopped infront of a zoned area. „There´s your man. See you on the flight line.", she said and waved when she walked away. Anna took my hand like a little child and followed me into the room. She looked even more nervous.

It was a bit darker inside.

We both recognized the gray-haired guy from two days ago. He pumped irons and seemed to feel oh-so-great in his sweaty muscle shirt.

„You wanted to see me, Colonel?", I said and waited until he condescended to talk to us.

„This low gravity´ll make you soft.", he said and lifted the irons once more. „You get soft...", he said again and put them into the retainer, sat up and looked at me. „...Pandora will shit you out dead with zero warning. I pulled your record, Corporal. Venezuela, that was some mean bush. Nothing like this here, though. You got some heart, kid, showing up in this neighborhood."

His eyes switched over to Anna who stood upright like a broomstick and stared back.

„Was a bad idea to bring your pet with you. Hope it´s vaccinated.", he said and grinned at me, then at her.

Anna pressed her lips together and crossed her arms infront of her chest. „And you?"

I couldn´t help but freeze. Holy shit, she cannot talk to him that blusteringly!, I thought and tried not to show my worry.

He laughed. „What a charming birdie. May the young lady leave us alone for a second?", he said, took a mocking bow and I looked up at Anna and nodded. She looked worried, send a suspicious look at Quaritch but finally turned around and left. I looked over to her until I saw her talk to Trudy and disappear.

Then I turned around and looked at the Colonel. His eyes switched back to me.

„Your sister is a pretty caliber for her age. How old is she, twelve?", he asked and chuckled.

„Fifteen.", I said, anxious to change the subject and luckily Quaritch didn´t seem as if he thought of Anna as important.

„I was first recon myself. A few years ahead of you. Well, maybe more than a few." He stood up and left his corner, walking towards an AMP Suit and I followed him silently. „Three tours Nigeria, not a scratch. I come out here?" He pointed at his scarred face. „Day one, think I felt like a shavetail louie?"

He began to work on his suit, pushed buttons and pulled levers.

„Yeah, they could fix me up if I rotated back. Yeah and make me pretty again, but you know what?"

He turned around and pointed at the scars again. „I kind of like it. It reminds me every day what´s waiting out there."

I sat there and watched him, cursing him secretly for being a Colonel of the babbling kind. I knew that all his talking was a complete waste of time, that he wanted to tell me something else.

I held back an annoyed sigh and moved over to the hydraulic lift when he climbed up is AMP Suit. „The Avatar Program is a bad joke, bunch of limp-dick science majors. However, it does present as opportunity both timely and unique. Clear!" he jumped into the cockpit and I felt myself being lifted from the ground. He looked at me and I knew that we were coming to the interesting part.

„A recon gyrene in an Avatar body! That´s a potent mix, give me the goose bumps! Such a Marine could provide the intel I need, right on the ground. Right in the hostiles camp."

I leaned a bit in his direction, actually curious for his next words. Would he want me to spy on Augustine and the others? That seemed pointless to me. Why would a Colonel want me to spy on scientists he titled limp-dick majors a second before? He seemed to notice that.

„Look, Sully, I want you to learn these savages from the inside. I want you to gain their trust." He put on something that looked like iron gloves. Yeah, that´s the way the wind is blowing!, I thought and held back a knowing look.

I knew this kind of men, I worked with them until they graded me as not worth to look at. „I need to know how to force their cooperation or hammer them hard if they won´t.", he said.

Thoughts circled in my head.

Augustine´s no fool. She will know what I do, she will see that I try to gain her pets trust. And Anna...? Instead of all the thoughts, something different came from my mouth before I knew what I said. „Am I still with Augustine?" I need time to think!

„On paper, yeah, you walk like one of her science pukes, you quack like one, but you report to me. Can you do this for me, son?"

He mustered me and saw my worries I tried to hide.

He´s a Colonel with influence so this may be a good job..., I thought.

„Hell, yeah, Sir!", I said and again I felt as if my body worked without my control.

He seemed satisfied with that. „Well, alright then."

And suddenly the AMP suit moved forwads, punshed the air three times like a boxer before it faced me.

Quaritch pointed at me and the machine followed his movements.

„Son, I take care of my own. You get me what I need, I´ll see to it you get your legs back when you rotate home. Your real legs."

That was it. There was nothing to think about anymore. The conflict in my head vanished into thin air.

„That sounds real good, Sir.", I heard myself from far away. But I couldn´t really see him: My mind was on Earth. I saw myself and Anna...and I could walk.

„Make sure that no one knows about this, not even your little tomboy."

* * *

„Well, look who found the way back home?", Anna said and sounded annoyed when I entered our broom closet. She sat on the floor next to the heating and read Norms book. I was a bit suprised, Anna wasn´t that kind of girl. She never acted bitchy.

„It´s nice to see you too.", I said and grinned but this time Anna didn´t react. She looked bugged but even more worried than before.

„I saw you babbling with this idiot. What did he want?", she asked outright.

I shrugged my shoulders an pulled myself onto my bed. I felt as if I had a lump in my throat.

You have to lie!, I thought but my throat tightened even more. I never lied at her about something important, actually I wasn´t long enough at home to have the chance to. It hit me like a sharp blade.

„We spoke about my job as escort. There´s a lot I needed to know.", I said and damned myself that I didn´t come up with a better excuse. Annas eyes switched from her book over to me and examined my face. I looked back as calm as possible but I knew that she knew it.

I expected her to be angry and yell at me, but her eyes turned sad and worried.

„Jake, please! This man is anything but a good person" I tried to roll my eyes and play my part in a convincing way.

You cannot tell her., I thought and turned my head over to the wall. Anna stepped next to me. „Jake!", she said pleadingly and I felt a small piercing pain in my chest. So I faced her. My little, old sister sat down next to me and took my hand.

„This man...he´s vicious. I feel it when he´s around. Quaritch´s not here to work with us, he waits for something. So please tel me now that you will not work with him."

I smiled and inside of my soul I felt like the biggest, pathetic traitor ever, but I couldn´t stop myself when I said: „Don´t worry.", and she believed me.

Anna smiled, kissed me on the cheek. „Night, bro.", she said and climbed up in her bed. I tried to sleep too, but I couldn´t.

I felt guilty for lying at her, looked at the alarm clock just to see that I had only three hours sleep left. So I pushed it all away from me and tried to sleep. Tomorrow would be a long day.

* * *

The wind blew into my face and I felt the long queue behind me slap onto my back, over and over again. We flew above the first forest I´ve ever seen in real life. And man, this was a huge forest! The air tasted fresh and warm and I looked down on my feet and tapped my invisible toes. I hated those lumpy hiking boots-like shoes though I also wore them at the army, but they couldn´t stop me from going crazy over my feet and my legs. They weren´t useless anymore, this body was healthy and I was able to walk.

I could walk!

A small hand and arm sneaked around my own and held onto me, I turned half around and watched my little sister press against my side. Anna didn´t suffer from vertigo but the up and down of Trudy´s Aerospatiale SA-2 Samson seemed to scare her.

I patted her hand.

„It´s alright, honey.", I said and grinned, she pressed her eyes closed and showed me the finger. I was relieved that Anna wasn´t angry at me anymore and again, the guilt of lying to my precious little sister made my stomach twist. She seemed to believe me and the Anna that hang on me that moment was obviously not an angry one. I turned around and mustered the other crew members.

Augustine and Norm behind me babbled about some scientist-bullshit and I knew that Anna would love to hear it, but clinging on me seemed to win against her curiosity. The bald head called Wainfleet was one of the party and Trudy drove her baby as if she wanted to win a race. I sneaked my arm around Annas waist to calm her. „Open your eyes, it´s great!", I yelled against the propeller into her ear. She shook her head.

I couldn´t help but feel happy and eager. Her Avatar looked so much like her and it moved like Anna. Her long dark hair blew in the wind and her now golden eyes were closed. Though I started the whole story with lying to her, I was really happy that she decided to accompany me to Pandora.

Then Trudy let the helicopter lower more and more and finally we landed.

I let go of Anna and jumped to the ground, yanked my gun up and scanned our surrounding.

Trees. Everywhere.

I looked back to the others. Trudy finally turned the machine off and Norm helped Anna and Grace out of the seats.

The bald head Wainfleet jumped down too, he looked pretty small next to Norm and seemed to notice that too. Grace took her bag from the hold and glared at him. „You stay with Trudy. One idiot with a gun is enough.", she said and turned around, waving Norm, Anna and me to follow her. We all wore these annoying beige clothes, Anna called them flour bags and they hung over my body like a tent. Grace played the part of tour guide and talked continuously to Norm.

Anna was quiet and looked around like a child in zoo.

Well, the nature was fantastic, trees and flowers of the strangest colours and shapes. Suddenly the trees above us rustled and I yanked my gun up at the noise just to see some monkey-like creatures making their way hand over hand along the branches. One of them stoppes and looked down at me. I didn´t know what to do.

I stared back and wished that this thing would just disappear with its members. Grace and Norm came over to me and the red-haired biologist looked annoyed.

„Prolemuris. They´re not aggressive.", she said, send me a glare and was about to keep on walking, but Norm held her back. „Why doesn´t it leave then? It´s still staring at us."

I looked up at the strange blue thing. Its big eyes mustered us as if an intelligent mind lived in it´s brain. As if.

Grace came her few steps back and approached the Prolemuris, making some strange noises.

Anna stepped next to me and pushed my gun down so its barrel faced the floor. I send her a glare, but she shook her head and stepped next to Grace, reaching out her hand at the Prolemuris.

Grace seemed as if she wanted to yell at her for being so blunt and intrude her work, but one wrong movement and the Prolemuris would disappear.

Anna still held her hand towards the thing and with the other hand she searched for something in her bag. Finally she pulled out a fruit. The thing mustered her and suddenly-jumped down.

Grace and Norm stepped back in speechless surprise and I felt the urge to laugn at them. There they were, the great scientists and it was my baby sister who knew how to handle animals.

The Prolemuris stepped closer to Anna, her face sparkled with happiness when the animal slowly reached its strange hand-one of its hands-at her and carefully took the fruit. Then it jumped back to the roofs of the trees, following its members.

Anna uttered a joyful laugh and turned around to look at me. „Have you seen?", she asked and came over to me, taking my hand.

Grace send her a strange look and Norm stared at her that startled as if he had never seen something more wonderful.

I nodded and pulled her with me when Grace turned around and kept on walking.

What an old cow..., I thought. Anna still watched the Prolemuris until it was out of sight and then turned around and walked next to me. She was way smaller then me and again we looked more than brother and sister. This was the world as it should be, as it would be when we come home. I would´ve my legs back and then everything would be alright.

We walked through the forest in silence and I was busy watching my environment. There were noises everywhere and my unease grew. I wasn´t used to places like this, I couldn´t decide if those screams were dangerous or not.

I didn´t look where I walked, suddenly I bumped into Norms back and as if we were in an old comedy movie, Anna bumped into mine.

„Why did we stop?", I asked him and as answer he kneeled down and unpacked scientistic utensils. „Grace wants to take some samples so we´ll stop here for a few minutes."

Anna sat next to him and watched every movement of his hands. I sighed in annoyence, turned around and looked for something interesting to spend my time with.

„You go with your brother and take care of him. I don´t need a sicko to spray bullets all over the place.", I heard Grace say and somehow her pungent sarcasm made her more sympathic.

A glaring Anna stepped next to me and crossed her arms infront of her chest, staring strictly straightforward.

„What a bitch.", she murmured and I grinned. She looked up at me, revealing her sheer disappointment to me and I sighed.

„Nevermind, Anna. I guess she doesn´t mean it."

My little sister giggled sarcastically and shook her head. „Yeah, of course. Well, let her play jungle doctor. Can we look around a bit?", she asked and risked a glance back at the two debating scientists. I shrugged my shoulders.

„If you want." I also looked back at the other two and then we left them alone. We walked only a few steps when Anna stopped to examine some strange flowers.

Their huge blossoms exuded some sweet scent and made me sneeze. Anna laughed. „This is so wonderful. If Tommy looks down on us from heaven now, he must be really envious. But somehow it feels as if he´s around us.", she said and I was kinda speechless how sensetive she really was. Little Anna! Tommy must have been the one swho knew her the best, he spend his life at home and compared to him I felt...bad.

A branch crackled.

Ana cringed and I yanked my gun up again.

„What was that?, she whispered...and with an ear-shattering the tree bursted.

Something hit my head and I fell, Annas screams ringing in my head. I landed hard on the floor and all air was pressed out of my lungs. I groaned, struggled to my feet and looked around.

The tree lay a few inches next to me, ripped into little and bigger piecs. I looked around searching for my sister but I couldn´t find her. Panick swamped my mind.

„Anna!", I screamed into the forest, filled with fear. Please god, let her be okay!, I begged and crawled over the wood. „Anna?"

„I´m over here..."

My head whirled around and I saw her lying on the floor. Her pants were reipped and she was covered in crumbed wood and dirt. She looked helpless.

And next to her was a big black thing.

I cringed back in shock and took my gun from the floor.

Anna was not that far away from me but I couldn´t reach her with that black monster between us. It was way bigger than me, longer and covered with black, leathery skin. It´s ugly puss was a few inches away from Annas shoulder. She seemed unharmed and-caressed the creatures nose.

My jaw dropped.

„Anna...are you crazy? Take your hand away from it´s mouth.", I hissed but Anna shook her head and sat up.

„If I do, it will attack you.", she said and her voice shivered with fear. She wasn´t afraid of the strange animal but in fear for my life. And she was right. The things eyes were locked on me and they looked dark and demonic.

„You have to go. It won´t hurt me.", she said and tried to play the brave girl but I knew that she was scared to death.

„Are you crazy?", I yelled at her. „I cannot leave you all alone out here!"

And that made the thing jump up. Ist ugly head turned to me and it stared at me with cold eyes. I didn´t know what to do: Anna still sat on the floor and tried to calm it but it didn´t help.

The creatures muscles tensed and I turned around and ran.

* * *

Annas POV

„Jake!" The animal took a leap and landed right behind Jakes back. It´s mouth closed with an awful strenght but missed Jakes back. A shiver ran down my spine when the picture of those teeth hitting Jakes body fought its way into my mind.

Jake ran. He didn´t even use his gun, he knew that wouldn´t work. The black creature had been pretty calm around me and it had been a shock when I lay on the floor coughing and it came over to me and snuggled its head up against my shoulder.

I knew that it smelled us in the air and came to attack us. But strangely it didn´t seem interested in my flesh. I watched Jake run and the slinky black thing began to hunt him until I couldn´t see them anymore. I sat on the floor, not able to move.

Tears formed in my eyes and I felt a wave of hysteria swamp my mind.

What shall I do? What CAN I do?, I thought and looked around. I was helpless so I called out ofr the others. I remembered that we weren´t that far away from them and so they would hopefully hear me.

„Grace!" Nobody answered. „Norm!" Neither. Somewhere, somebody fired a mashine gun.

I felt as if somebody poured ice cold water over me. Grace and Norm were disappeared and slowly the sounds of fired mashine gun bullets faded away.

Silence.

All I heard was my hysteric sobs and my heart beat. The blood rushed through my veins. I slowly tried to stand up, my legs shook but I knew I needed to find Jake, as screwball as it was. I began to run, ran in the direction where they disappeared. I ran and felt my body come back to life. I stumbled ober my own feet but I could think again.

„Jake! Where are you?", I yelled over and over again. But nobody answered.

I fell to the floor, when my legs refused to carry me and my left knee hit a stone. A sharp pain spread through my leg and I gritted my teeth. „Ow!", I pressed out and rubbed the bleeding flesh.

Jake, where are you...?, I thought and tried to stand up again when I noticed that the sky above the trees darkened. The red sunset bathed the plants in red light and I calmed a bit.

The forest was beautiful, full of life. I heard strange birds sing, watched the Prolemuris dance through the roof of the trees and wished that Tommy would be here with me. I felt awfully alone, left behind, lost. I was in a huge forest, wide and wild and I was in the middle of nowhere, miles away from Hells Gate and my rickety bed.

Suddenly I heard a mashine gun not so far away from me. Then silence. I gasped in relief and ran towards the sound.

„Jake! Jake, I´m here!Over here!", I yelled and ran, looking around. Every tree looked the same and I felt as if I´ve been in this place before, until I noticed the smashed tree on the floor.

I sank to the floor again, totally despaired. „No, I ran in circles!", I muttered and again I felt like crying. The night had begun, the stars shimmered through the leaves and the plants brightened the darkness with their fluorescent light.

I was a bit scared, I´ve never been the brave one when I was alone in darkness.

Can I even find him?, I thought and something deep inside of me said: No!

What did I expect? I was all alone and didn´t know where I was nor where my brother fought for his life.

There was nobody I could call for help.

Some bushes rustled and send a shiver down my spine.I stared at the moving laves and felt my heart beat catalyze. Suddenly I was afraid to stay here. Animals would find me and they wouldn´t be as tame as the leather-thing.

So I struggled to my feet hastily and began to run. Something rustled again but I didn´t look at it. I ran blindly until my lungs seemed to explote.

Faster, faster...!, I though when the rustling of bushes behind me created a symphony

„Hey, wait for me!"

I cringed in sheer shock and threw myself to the floor, when suddenly something fell to the floor and landed a few steps next to me. It was tall and looked human and cursed in english. And it wore beige flour bags.

I slapped a hand on my mouth to drown my hysteric yell, a yell of joy and fear and sheer relief. But I couldn´t help.

„Jake!", I yelled, way too loud. He was a few steps away from me and cringed in shock. He struggled to his feet and stared at me as if I was a ghost. „Anna, is that you..?", he asked and sounded overhelmed by surpise. I felt tears form in my eyes and didn´t fight them back. My knee hurted and I had a hard time to stand up when he came over to me to help me.

„It´s me, it´s me! I thought I´ll never find you!", I heard myself whine and knew that I was only one inch away from a mental breakdown.

Jake took my hand and pulled me to my feet.

His arms pressed me against his chest and I felt as if he wanted to break my spine, pressed me closer and closer to him until I felt his body shiver.

A quiet sob came from his mouth.

„My god, I daren´t hope for seeing you like this again.", he said and pressed his mouth in ym hair. „Ow, Jake!", I whined and he let go of me immediately. His eyes were worried but he looked a bit angry.

„Why didn´t you return to Grace and Norm? Instead of saving yourself, you run through the forest without anything and anyone so what were you thinking?, he growled and grabbed my shoulder to shake me.

I stepped back and slapped his hands away from me. „It´s not my fault! I called out for them but nobody reacted. I guess they left when they heard the noise.", I said, defending my pointless action.

The bushes rustled.

Jake pulled me behind him when suddenly tall blue creatures jumped out of the bushes with angry howling. They bend their bows and target at us. Jake stumbled back, took my hand and was about to run when something that reminded me of horses, closed the circle around us.

I looked at blue-skinned faces that reminded me of my own Avatar.

„Na`vi...", I whispered in pure shock and pressed against Jakes back.

Their arrows looked sharp, I tried not to imagine how they would feel inside my flesh. But their eyes spoke of awful determination and I was tempted to pray, when suddenly somebody jumped down from a tree, landed infront of Jake and interposed himself between the assailants and us.

* * *

The more you review the faster I write! ; )

I want to apologize again but I wrote an extra-long chapter to placate you. Hope you forgive me and read! ^^ And enjoy and review of course! XD The next chapter will be my favourite one, I know it. Because I can finally write about the Na´vi. : )

Love, LR:


	5. Way of life

Hey ho! The last chapter needed days to be updated so I started to write this one right after I updated the fourth, though I had to learn for a math test and I am so not a genius in math. ; ) Well, this chapter also took some time, I somehow had a writer`s block. But this is so much better than math! ^^ Hope you like it and review! Oh PLEEEEEEEEEEASE review!

* * *

Annas POV

The Na`vi narrowed the circle around us. Their arrows nearly touched my face and I tried to get closer to Jake though I felt his back against mine. My chest rose and lowered in frantic breaths, my hands felt sweaty and trembled like an aspen leaf.

I forced myself to tore my eyes away from their arrow heads and looked up into the hard, suspicious faces.

While Jake had to bear the infantrys piercing glances, I faced the cavalry and felt even smaller than before. Our assailants were exclusively male and way stronger than me. They could catch me without any difficulties and Jake also seemed to notice that. He moved slowly, so the Na`vi wouldn´t think that he tried to fight back, and pulled me infront of him. I stumbled over my own feet and looked up at Jakes face.

He seemed a bit more reassured but his hand pressed me against his chest as if he feared to lose me every moment.

His grip hurted but I didn´t dare to diverge from him. His grip made me feel save and so I swallowed the pain in silence.

My eyes locked on the person infront of me, the only one of the Na`vi that didn´t hold a bow to my chest. The long loose hair and the soft contoured hips revealed her as woman and my suspicion confirmed when she spun round, examined my face for a second and turned back to her comrades.

„_Mawey, Na'viyä. mawey."_, she hissed at them and looked at one of the troopers, a tall muscular man that jumped down from the equine animal and walked over to her.

He gave Jake and me a suspicious, almost derisive glance, then he looked at the obviously upset woman.

„_Ma Tsu'tey! Kempe si nga?"_, she hissed at him and I tried my best to understand her words. Well, I noticed that _Tsu`tey _was no ordinary word, it seemed to be the mans name that stopped a few inches near me.

His eyes switched over to Jake and me, then back at the woman.

„_Fayvrrtep fìtsenge lu kxanì!"_, he said, pointed at us and his movements revealed such a one despite that I felt tempted to show him the finger, though I didn´t understand what they talked about and though it was absolutely crazy.

I wanted to look up at Jake but the other Na`vi finally concentrated on the mans and the womans argument and one movement would make them look at us. So I just whispered: „We´re in the shit."

He nodded and let go of my shoulder to take my hand.

The woman stepped closer to Jake and pointed at him, still facing the man called Tsu`tey. _„Aungia lolu! Tsahiku txele lu!"_, she said and her words caused the others to murmur and stare at us. „What are they talking about?", Jake asked from behind and I shrugged my shoulders. „I don´t know. My Na`vi´s not nearly good enough.", I answered but didn´t tell him that something happened, that the strange womans words caused an invisible uproar.

Where did I get myself into?, I thought despaired.

I felt as if they all were fucking kidding me, as if all this was a dream and I would wake up every moment. I was trapped in the huge jungle of Pandora and surrounded by armed natives that seemed to discuss my death.

The man called Tsu`tey felt obviously uneasy, his eyes wandered around when the others let their weapons down and began to whisper. Then he walked back to his horse and jumped onto its back.

„_Pot zamunge!"_, he said and made his horse turn around. The other people took their weapons and came over to Jake and me. They ripped me away from him, big hands grabbed my shoulders, my arms and my hair with rigid vigor and pushed me forwards.

„_Makto ko!" _ I gasped in pain and surprise, but I didn´t struggle and matched with their pace.

I heard Jake gasp. „What´s going on?", he asked and I wasn´t sure if he asked me or someone else. There was noone around that would listen to him.

„Where are we going?"

Nobody answered. My legs hurted, my lungs burned and I had a hard time not to stumble. But maybe even if I would fall down, these hard hands would still drag me after the troopers.

What will they do? There´s no point in arresting us!, I thought and the longer we ran the more I got confused.

Soon I noticed the monstrous shadow infront of us and screwed up my eyes, just to gasp in surprise. It was a tree, the biggest tree I´ve ever seen before and maybe as big as a scycraper. Its trunk was incredible thick, the branches as long as ten trucks and I was sure that one leaf was as tall as a cars wheel.

Suddenly the other plants around me looked like smurfs.

But I had no time to admire the trees beauty, they pushed me harder, ran faster.

The woman ran infront of us and didn´t seem as if it was difficult for her to keep up. But I´ve never been a sporty student at school and so I tried my best. They led us over a slippy trunk on the floor, then I saw where all this led to.

This huge tree seemed to be their village or something, I could see some big fires around the roots on the floor and in the hollows beneath the trunk itself.

And suddenly we were surrounded by Na`vi. Our guardians pushed me into the horde and I felt kinda relieved that the others around us stepped back and only stared at us. The troopers jumped down from their horses and walked over to the fire in the middle of the room.

At the first moment I believed that they would push me into the flames, but suddenly we stopped and they let go of my hair and my arms and I ran over to Jake who took my hand and pulled me against his chest.

Some of the Na`vi giggled about that but I didn´t care. I was scared, so damn scared. The guy called Tsu`tey walked over to an old Na`vi that wore a mesh of clorful ribbons and feathers andwho stood up and mustered Jake and me, until the young Na`vi woman walked over to him, taking a short bow.

„_Ma sempul, oel ngati kameie."_, she said and finally I understood.

The old Na`vi was Olo`eyktan, the clan leader. Tommy often told me about the Na`vis social system: The clan leader was Olo`eyktan, his mate always Tsahìk, the spiritual leader. My eyes switched over to the. „_Ma sempul"_ meant „father". Our saviour was the clan leaders daughter.

I felt the Olo`eyktans hard eyes on me and he answered his daughters greeting with hard words but I didn´t bother to listen anymore.

Jake noticed my helplessness and sqeezed my hand. This little touch was meant to calm me, but my hands shook and nothing could change that.

I heard Jake clear his throat and the youn woman turned around.

„What are you talking about?", he asked when the leader was distracted by the warrior named Tsu`tey. „My father decides if we kill you and the womam.", she said innocently and I felt as if lightning strucked me..

Did she really just speak English?, I thought, my jaw dropped and I was tempted to rub my eyes. But that wasn´t the only fact that stunned me. Jake asked her as if he knew her.

„Your father." Before I could stop him, Jake took a step towards the leader and reached out his hand. „Pleased to meet you, Sir!" The Na`vi answered with angry hissing and drove him back with their arrows. Jake looked startled and lifted his hands in the air to show that he didn´t want to hurt anybody.

Suddenly a lordly voice filled the room.

I cringed and noticed an elder woman walking slowly down the meandering volute of the inner tree. She wore a crimson gown that reached her knees and was slotted on both sides. She was a strong contrast compared to all the other Na`vi that wore only a breech cloth and looked pretty naked.

Everybody stepped back respectfully and the elder Na`vi came over to us while she spoke to her people.

The young Na`vi turned around. „This is mother. She´s Tahìk. She reads Eywas will.", she explained and gave her mother a nod.

„Who`s Eywa?", Jake asked but nobody answered when the woman began to walk in circles around us, mustering us from head to toe.

I felt her hand touching my tail but forced myself to stay calm. She stopped circling Jake and me and stopped infront of us. Again the Na´vi surprised me. „What´s your name?", she asked in perfect English and mustered him with suspicion in her eyes.

Jake felt obvioulsy uncomfortable under her eyes but answered willingly.

„Jake Sully.", he said and nodded. The Tashìk pointed at me. „And who is she?", she asked, still looking at Jake. Obviously they didn´t consider me as important enough to talk to me. Now all eyes locked on me, everybody mustered me from head to toe and it send a shiver down my spine. Jake felt my growing unease and took my hand.

„Anna, my younger sister." Finally the Tahìk looked at me as if this fact surprised her. I took a slight bow.

The woman turned back to Jake. „Why did you come here?" I could see that Jake searched for an excuse. „I came...to learn.", he finally said but the Tahìks face darkened. „We´ve tried to teach sky people. It´s not easy to fill a cup that´s full yet." My god, is this an examination?, I thought and bit my lips. Our future was doubtful, they could kill us, there was nobody around for help.

Jake became nervous. „Well, my cup`s empty. You can ask Augustine, I´m not a scientist."

„Then what?" Obviously this woman laughed to bully her enemies. I frowned and was really tempted to answer cuttingly. But then I remembered what our people did to them.

We came here and started an unjustly war., I thought and felt ashamed. If I were in their spot I wouldn´t act different, actually we can be thankful that they didn´t kill us right there.

„I´m a Marine. A warrior from the tribe of leathernecks.", he said. I had to hold myself back from laughing. The whole situation was so damn ridiculous, I pressed my lips closed and stared at him. A warrior from the leathernecks? Tsu`tey walked over to Jake, yelling, but the leader held him back and seemed to announce something. I wanted to thank him for holding back his guard dog, this Tsu`tey looked pretty aggressive.

But they wouldn´t even allow me to speak so I kept my mouth close.

The warrior noticed my glance and stared back. I looked away immediately and tried to concentrade on something else, but Tsu`tey still stared at me. His eyes showed nothing but distrust, while the other Na`vi whispered and the Olo`eyktan was busy with listening to Jake. Though my brother was only a costumed human to him, he seemed pretty interested.

It was a strange feeling to stand there and understand absolutely nothing that was spoken around me, while all the others listened attentively.

„Why did you bring her?", the Tsahìk asked and pointed at me again. For the first time, Jake seemed speechless. He looked over to me, back at the woman that waited patiently.

„She...we´re the last of our family. She´s everything I have and when I came here, I couldn´t leave her behind." His eyes were honest and his words caused the strange feeling in my nose that signifies a crying fit. But I blinked once, blinked twice and fought my tears away, then I looked over to the Tsahìk to see her reaction. I suddenly remembered her name: Mo`at. Norm mentioned her the day before.

Her eyes changed, I couldn´t tell in which way, but somehow I couldn´t shake off the feeling that Jakes words changed her opinion about us.

Moat whispered something to her daughter and came back to Jake and me when the young woman tried to argue with her.

„It has been decided. My daughter will teach you our culture, learn well, Jakesully. Then we will see if your insanity can be cured."

Jake nodded- well, what else should he do?- and the woman turned around to walk away but he stopped her. „Wait! What about my sister? What will happen to her?", Jake asked and I felt like an object that was passed from adult to adult. The Tsahìk stopped next to her mate.

„We will held your sister in pledge. She´s younger, docile and gifted, I can see that. If we notice that you plan to harm our people, she will die. I guess you understand?"

I felt as if somebody poured ice cold water over me. Jake stared at me until I looked back. His eyes held an unspoken question, a question for permission.

My blood rushed through my veins. I knew that this was our only chance to survive.

I...I have to do this., I realized and send Jake my answer in the same way he send me his question. I felt the Tsahìks eyes on me and turned around. She seemed to expect an answer and so I nodded. I knew I didn´t really have a decision: Either I would say no and seal not only mine but Jakes fate, or I say yes and stay alive. That moment I didn´t have to think about my answer, I knew what I had to do.

„I vouch for my brother. He will not do anything to harm the Omaticaya."

I gulped. The words felt like stones on my tongue.

Mo`at nodded and looked kinda satisfied.

„Well, Jakesully...you shall be thankful that your sister is the person she is."

I wasn´t sure of her words meaning, but actually I didn´t care at all. I knew that they wouldn´t flay Jake and me alive and that was all I hoped for.

„Neytiri, you take care of Jakesully." I watched Jake walk over to the young woman. He hesitated but I looked at him and hoped that he understood my glance. Keep away from trouble., I thought and Jake looked back knowingly.

It was a pain to see him leave, I felt so insecure that my legs begged to run after him, but I knew that this wouldn´t work. My Avatars life depended on Mo`ats favor and I knew that Grace would eat me alive if anything happened to my knew body.

Jake disappeared together with Neytiri and I had to face the situation of being alone with Mo`at and...an aggressive warrior that wanted to kill me and my brother a minute ago. „I´ll take care of our young friend."

Mo`at turned around and waved at me to follow her.

* * *

She led me up the inner tree while she spoke with Tsu`tey. The tall warrior walked beside her and his behaviour had lost any rigor, actually he acted extremely respectful around Mo`at. I wasn´t really excited that the aggressive man decided to accompany us but at last it wasn´t my decision. I was only an unwelcomed guest.

So I walked behind them, listening to the fast Na`vi but couldn´t understand anything. I wasn´t sure of what would happen next but at least i was still alive. Now and then Tsu`tey turned his head and send me an undefinable glance.

I didn´t know what to do, so I stared back until he looked away again.

I felt pretty dumb. The blood never vanished from my face, it felt hot in ebarrassement and my muscles were tensed. So I mustered my surrounding to calm, though there was nothing interesting to look at.

Soon Mo`ats voice ripped me out of my thoughts.

„Well, Jakesullys sister, first we´ll get you something to wear. Those cloths smell too much of the alien you are.", Mo`at said and I frowned. Luckily neither she nor Tsu`tey looked at me.

Alien smell?, I thought and nosed my t-shirt unobtrusively. It smelled of lilac, my perfume I brought with me to Pandora, so I was a bit confused.

Mo`at turned the corner and moved the cloth, which covered a door, to the side. Tsu`tey entered the room after her andheld the cloth open for me. Again I felt my cheeks redden, thought I didn´t know why. Everything made me feel embarrassed that moment.

He must think I´m a perfect idiot., I thought and looked to the floor until I stood next to Mo`at and Tsu`tey looked elsewhere. Then I dared to look around and found myself standing in a room full of women. They mustered me curiously and one of them came over to Mo`at when she greeted them. I watched the Tsahìk talk to her. They pointed at me and discussed while the other girls looked up from their sewing and followed the conversation with great interest.

The one Mo`at talked to mustered me disparagingly. I fel uncomfortable under her eyes while Tsahìk explained the situation to her.

She nodded and clapped her hands and all the other women stood up and came over to me. I looked at them in horror and knew they secretly laughed about me. Mo`at pushed me softly towards them and she seemed to feel my insecure. Her hands patted my shoulders and she smiled when I stepped in the middle of the room and faced her. The girls came closer, some of them smiled.

Their bodies set a circle up around me so nobody could see anything else of me than my face and shoulders when they undressed me.

I felt the blood rush up to my face again but didn´t dare to fight dem off.

They worked on my clothes until I was fully naked. Mo`at still stood in front of me, Tsu`tey behind her. Now and then she issued a command but apart from that my changing was a silent event.

They watched the girls work and Tsu´tey didn´t turn around nor did he look elsewhere. That made me blush even more. The girls giggled.

I felt soft fabric covering my skin, they wrapped it around my chest and buttoned it on my back, then they slipped something around my hips and tied the two pieces of fabric on both sides together so the cloth snuggled tightly up to my body.

He women finished their work with brushing my hair and stepped back so Mo`at and Tsu`tey could look at me. I was tempted to cover my skin with my hands. The small pieces of fabric covered my...well, important sections but nothing more. I felt naked.

The warrior mustered me without any sign of interest and turned around to leave the room. I held back a sight of relief, his glances weren´t filled with the same embarassing lack of respect I was used to from human men and that made me feel calmer.

Mo`at nodded favorably and even smiled. She thanked them and said good bye, then turned around to leave, I took a fast bow and left after her. She walked down, back to the fire where all the people sat and stared at us.

My god, I need to stop blushing. They´ll think I am a blue light bulb., I thought and cursed my body that betrayed me with making my insecureness public. Mo`at greeted all the attendees and stopped next to one of them near the fire. First I was a bit confused but then I looked at him more carefully and didn´t know if I should laugh or faint immediately when I recognized Jake...in a breech cloth.

Thought I felt a laughing fit rise in my throat I sat down silently and looked strictly into the fire while Mo`at left and sat down next to her mate.

I felt Jake eye me from the side and bit my lips.

He looked deadly embarrassed and seemed to notice that I had a hard time to hold myself back from laughing. I tried to look away and Jake, anxious to defuse the situation, reached me something to eat and I ate it without knowing what it is. I tried to shut myself up but couldn´t help.

„You look...lovely.", I murmured and felt my mouth cramp in a smirk so I stared back into the fire. Jake grumbled an opaque answer, kept on eating and I followed his example, when I noticed that someone watched us.

Tsu`tey.

I didn´t look at him and was still fighting with my laughter when jake said: „Augustine will go crazy when we tell her about this." I shrugged my shoulders. „She will scramble to get your friendship, oh great Jake Sully. Maybe a bit old to be your girlfriend, huh?", I teased him and he smirked. „Watch it, princess.", he said and poked my shoulder with his elbow. I rose brow and kept on eating. Soon the Olo`eyktan and Mo`at stood up from their seats and so all the others stood up too, leaving the fire. Jake and me stood there and looked around aimlessly until Neytiri came over to us and waved us to follow her.

Jake took my hand, a gesture which had turned into a habit. Neytiri led us upwards the tree until we reached a long branch where every single smaller branch bore a hammock.

She jumped down into one without a word and so I stood there for a moment before Jake followed her example and climbed down into another one. He looked up at me.

„Don´t be scared, it´s alright.", he said and I inhaled deeply the cool night air before I grabbed a smaller, compared to the others, branch and jumped down into the hammock next to Jakes. He grinned at me. „Congrats, sis. You were really...graceful.", he teased me and I made a face at him.

„Silence, Tarzan!", I said and it really silenced him.

I closed my eyes and knew that everybody expected me to sleep, but I couldn´t. That Jake fell asleep immediately didn´t ease the situation because I felt alone the moment he stopped moving and breathing. At the first moment I feared my heart would stop in shock.

He doesn´t breath!, I thought and called myself a fool the next moment. Jakes mind returned to his human body., I told myself and I sighed in relief. I pressed my eyes close, tried to imagine the whirl of colours when I connected with my Avatar and suddenly I fell into a river of light, knowing that my mind would wake up in my human body.

* * *

Somebody shook me by the shoulder. „Anna! Wake up!" I frowned and tried to slap the hands away. „I´m awake...", I said and the person began to laugh in relief. Something rolled closer, wheels squeaked on the floor and somebody took my hand. „Wake up sis, you´re back.", the person said and I knew it was Jake. I opened one eye and grinned at him.

„Breech cloth...", I chanted and he grinned at me, ruffling my hair. „No matter if you´re in a Na`vis body or a human, you´re vicious, little witch.", he said and helped me to sit up.

I noticed Grace, Max and Norm and blinked in surprise.

They stood around me and Grace handed me a cup of hot tea. „You and your brother attached yourself to your Avatar like a tick.", she said and smiled widely. Her smiling version didn´t look at all like the Augustine I met.

I send Jake a small glance. He looked abck and I knew that he thought of what I told him some minutes before. Grace wasn´t arrogant anymore, not at all and to be honest, I liked her that way.

„You mus tell me everything.", she said with sparkling eyes and pulled me out of the Link Unit.

* * *

^^ Teeeeheheheheee! REVIEWS, REVIEWS, REVIEWS! This chapter smells of REVIEWS! So please? * puppy eyes ***** But most important:

I hope you enjoyed reading and will read my next chapters too. * drums please *

Love, LR!


	6. Severe lessons to learn

Yoyoyiggediyo! ^^ Welcome to chapter 6! There´s snow in good old Saxonia/ Germany! Pretty much snow, so I could stay at home today! Great, isn´t it? Holidays start in a week and after that I have my pre-examinations -.- Oh joy! That´s why I won´t be able to update in January. You thin that´s "great", huh? Well, English-pre is my birthday present this year. But nevermind, it´s actually the greatest thing ever that people like my story that much.

: ) Well, I want to apologize for bad grammar and spelling, I really try my best and hope it´s not that evil so you wouldn´t read it anymore. So here I go! Please enjoy and review!

* * *

Annas POV

„Sleeping Beauty.", somebody whispered into my ear and I nearly jumped out of my skin. I tried to open my eyes but the lids felt too heavy, tired and swollen from the lack of sleep. Grace seemed to have fun when she kept me awake the whole night. Well, it felt as if. Now and then, somebody shook me by the shoulder to wake me up when my eyes closed for longer than a second.

I rubbed my eyes, not sure who woke me and when I finally forced them to open, the person had disappeared.

I frowned and pulled myself to the edge of my bed and looked down.

Jake sat in his wheelchair, fully dressed and tried to pull himself to his feet again.

I rubbed my eyes again to stop them from closing. „Jake, it´s okay. I´m awake.", I murmured and hoped that he heard me.

„Well, get your butt out of the bed. You´re quite late.", he said and I answered with a careless „hmph". Then I tried to climb down the bed frame without looking down. I kept my eyes closed, they hurted too much so I pointed at Jake and said: „Shut up, Sully! I know how I look!", before he could say anything. Jake didn´t asnwer and all that came out of his mouth was a muffled laugh.

I alway felt when he had a comment at chest height.

I stumbled into the bathroom and washed my face with icecold water, then I looked into the mirror and was tempted to turn around and never look into one ever again. I stepped into the shower and tried not to think of my pale skin and the notched, dark circles until I turned on the cold water and jumped with a loud squeaker away from the water jet. Jake knocked against the door.

„Are you alright?", he called and I approved. „The water was a bit too cold.", I said and stepped utterly fearless under said water, washed my hair quickly and fled out of the shower. My body shook from the cold but at least I was finally awake.

I slipped into my clothes and stepped out of the bathroom without drying my hair. Water dripped down on my shoulders and I tied it up. Jake rose a brow.

„Are there any particular reasons why you wear my shirt?", he asked and I looked down just to recognize that I wore his navy blue t-shirt. „Oh! Sorry, I didn´t look where I grabbed my clothes.", I said but he shrugged his shoulders.

„Nevermind! You´ll spend your future days in a Link Unit so the others will hardly care what you wear.", he said and I nodded, rubbing my eyes.

Together we left the room and walked along the hallway. We hadn`t even reached the door to the control centery yet when Norm stepped out of the door and came over to us. „Grace, they´re here!", he called back into the room and a second later a fuming Grace stormed out of the door. „There you are! Damn it, you´re too late.", she said and looked annoyed.

I was about to apologize, but she pushed me into the room and led me over to my Link Unit.

I looked over at Jake who took the bagel Norm offered him. I felt my stomach growl, but Grace would eat me alive if I´d ask for something to eat after I´ve been late.

So Jake send me an encouraging smile and I tried to smile back. No chance! „Well, let´s go over the persons once more.", Grace said and held a screen infront of my face. I pushed a bit away from me so I was able to see the pictures. I was tempted to sigh in annoyance but I held myself back, though we played that little game the whole night. Now and then I looked at the screen and pattered the names.

Grace nodded satisfied and helped me into the Link Unit.

„I guess you´ll meet the Na`vi who takes care of you today. Luckily you´re young and pretty, otherwhise they wouldn´t have been that generous.", she said and I knew she wanted to cheer me up. Grace spend most of her time in Link Units and I couldn´t shake off the feeling that it could drive everybody mad.

Again I wondered if all this had been a good idea. Jake found a new posibility to walk, something he dreamed of since he´d lost his legs, but maybe this was at a high prize.

I looked up at Grace and she smiled at me. „Don´t worry, princess. Try to listen and lern, then they´ll accept you. Trust me.", she said and closed the Link Unit. The feeling of being locked into ths tiny room didn´t scare me anymore and so I closed my eyes, ready to feel my mind waft away. I felt tired but the Link Unit was merciless and again it send my mind into a whirl of colours.

* * *

Suddenly I noticed the wickerwork of my hammock under my back, the small pieces of fabric on my body and I lifted my hands to rub my eyes. „My god, I´m dead.", I murmured, opened my eyes and looked into a blue face above my own. I felt so tired, I didn´t even cringe. „What?"

„Wake up, Anna!", the person said with a soft voice and still looked down on me. I didn´t understand nor did I recognize the person, I literally didn´t have a clue. „What?", I said again and sat up, then I turned around and felt my face heat when I looked at Neytiri. She smiled.

„Uhm...good morning! Neytiri, what are you doing here? Where´s Jake?", I asked and my eyes wandered around with worry, but Neytiri patted my shoulder to calm me. „Don´t worry, it´s alright. Jake`s still asleep. Look!" She pointed at the hammock next to me where Jakes Avatar lay without breathing or moving.

I sighed in relief and climbed up the branch. Neytiri was an impressing spectacle. She was nearly a head taller than me and looked trained and confident. She carried a bow and literally looked down on me. Compared to her I felt obscure and even more insecure when she mustered me. I thought of something to say and felt my face heat up.

„Er...uhm...wow, your English is pretty good.", I said and she smiled. It was a suspicious smile, a smile you give someone you hardly know. She nodded and looked at Jake when he sat up and met her gaze. „Morning!", he said and jumped up next to me. „How come that you´re always faster than me?", he joked and poked me against the shoulder. I grinned back.

„Dunno, maybe because I had no breakfast while you and Norm stuffed yourselve. At least it explains your paunch.", I said and ducked when he ruffled my hair. Neytiri stood and watched us, then she turned around and walked away without a word. Jake and I followed her and suddenly I felt not that helpless anymore. He walked next to me until Neytiri led us down the tree. We turned the last corner and I was a bit surprised when I noticed Mo`at, Eytukan, Tsutey and three other young men at the end of the path. They seemed to wait for us.

Neytiri walked over to her parents and took a bow, then she greeted Tsu`tey and the other warriors. Mo`at nodded and waved us closer so I stopped next to Neytiri, afraid to look up.

„Jakesully, my daughter will now take care of your education. I guess you know what to do.", she said and Jake looked at me, apologizingly, and followed Neytiri. I knew that this would happen but I wasn´t prepared at all. Suddenly I was all alone and faced a clan leader, his mate and the head warrior.

Mo`at smiled at me, Eytukan looked uninterested and the warriors face scared me. His lips were pinched and he looked as if he was angry with me.

I avoided his eyes and concentrated on the friendly faces.

„Anna, see that you´ll stay here, we decided that our head warrior Tsu`tey will take care of you.", she said and I felt as if lightning strucked me. Holy shit! Not that!, I thought and was tempted to yell „NO!". Tsu`tey obviously hated me, maybe even more than Jake. Mo`at touched my forehead and send me over to him. I didn´t know what to do so I thanked her and watched her walk away.

My pulse gathered speed and I couldn´t help but look down. My cheeks redenned, I felt the heat climb up to my face. But the head warrior seemed to ignore me. He began to talk to his comrades and I felt awfully dumb.

The I heard the others leave and dared to look up, met his eyes and damned my insecureness. He mustered me from head to toe, then he turned around and walked away. „Follow me, woman.", he said and I was stunned when the english words came from his lips. He spoke with an undefinable accent but clearly and distinctly.

„You speak my language!", I said and my voice sounded an octave higher than before, so I cleared my throat. „Yes, I do.", was all he said and with that the conversation ended. I didn´t have the guts to ask him more though I was really interested. So I followed that tall man who led me away from the hometree. I looked around, watching my surrounding. We passed by a lot of people, children, women and men. Some young mothers carried their babies on their backs while they picked berries, they chatted and laughed while three older children played tag; a bunch of young girls stopped, giggled and watched Tsu`tey who didn´t look at them though I was sure that he noticed them. All this reminded me of home, the town I grew up. I remembered the young mothers at the playground, the laughing children, the gossiping teenage girls.

The Na´vis weren´t that different. They had an own culture but the individuals were the same. That calmed me.

Just in time I noticed that Tsu`tey´d stopped infront of me and I stopped too, otherwhise I would´ve bumped into his back.

He turned around and mustered me again. „You do not look like a warrior or a hunter. What are you?", he asked and his words catched me napping. I didn´t know what to answer and his strict glance didn´t ease my misery.

„Uhm...I was way too young to choose when we left home so I haven´t decided yet?", I tried and he turned around, pointing at something in the background. „That´s what Tsahìk also said. Well, let´s see which way Eywa chose for you.", he said and whistled. Suddenly one of the equine creatures broke out of the bushes and came over to us. It snorted wildly and stopped infront of us. Tsu`tey stepped next to it, ran his fingers through its neck and talked insistently calming to the horse. „This is Sarlez.", he said and I was relieved that he broke the silence.

„He´s the alpha male of our best drove and appropriately obstinate, so show me that Tsahìk was right.", he said and took a few steps back. His eyes examined my face and I knew that he saw everything but confidence. First I didn´t know what to do, but actually all I could do was climbing on the horses back.

I looked at the animal, inhaled deeply and took a step towards him.

I was very good with animals. Actually, every yapping dog calmed and approached me tail-wagging. But this wasn´t a dog and I never had to handle one like this ever before.

Sarlez whickered wildly and stepped back, his eyes locked on me. Maybe he smelled my difference, I wasn´t a real Omaticaya, but luckily I remembered some words in Na`vi.

Animals calm down when you speak with them., I thought, so I first reached out my hand at the horse and waited.

Sarkez seemed tempted to turn around and leave, but it looked at my hand and finally, after a minute or two, he stepped closer and sniffed at my hand.

„_Sìltsan_, Sarlez.", I whispered, patting his smooth mouth. The alpha male seemed to like it, it´s slippery tongued licked my hand. I stepped closer, patting his shoulders and luckily Sarlez was a good boy and stood still. I put my hands onto his back and kept my eyes glued to his head. Sarlez mustered me from the corner of his eyes but didn´t try to fight me back.

I kept on talking to him, in english, but it didn´t bother the horse. „Please, Sarlez, be a good boy.", I said caressing the skin of his back. „You see, I won´t hurt you, I just wanna sit on your back, okay? So please don´t move.", I explained to the horse and never felt that stupid in my life before.

But that moment I couldn´t regard my foolish fears. I knew that, if I wasn´t able to tame the horse, Tsu`tey would send me back to hometree to become a home tender. And home tenders didn´t do anything but cooking, cleaning, sewing, cooking, cleaning, sewing...over and over again, the whole day, their whole life long.

My god, I will go crazy with a life like that., was all I thought and that made me forget my shyness and I tried my best.

Obviously Tsu`tey thought poorly of me and wanted to get rid of me, reasonable. To him I was nothing but a greenhorn, an unwelcome appendache, but unluckily I didn´t plan to spend my life with braiting baskets. He would hate me even more after this, but that would be passable compared to housework.

So I send one last greeting to the stallion, braced my hands against his back and lifted myself into the air. Then I tried to swing my left foot over his back but it didn´t work. I tried and tried without any success

Sarlez didn´t move.

Finally I pushed my leg onto his back and was afraid to hurt him. Sarlez turned his head and whickered softly.

So I sat up on his back, my face hot in embarrassement. „_Sìltsan_.", I said again, patting the stallions neck. My hands shivered from the endeavor and first I didn´t dare to breath, but the horse was calm so I sighed in relief and looked over to Tsu`tey.

The tall warrior mustered me with a murky expression, I couldn´t describe his expression in another way. Tsu`tey didn´t say anything, all he did was staring at me.

Maybe he thinks of another way to get rid of me. He could scare the horse so it runs and I fall and break my neck., I thought and frowned at the same time. Tsu`tey would never do something like that. He may didn´t like me but Mo`at and Eytukan wouldn´t permit to hurt me.

I waited patiently though I really wanted to know what would happen next. I proved that I could handle Sarlez and obviously he´d expected me to fail bitterly.

I knew that he wasn´t excited about me as his new student, but he didn´t show it that much, actually he looked murky most of the time. „Good.", was all he said, turned around and whistled again. Sarlez whickered loudly and another horse came from among the trees and trotted over to Tsu`tey. He caressed its head and pulled himself onto its back.

Then he took his plait and showed it´s tied hair-ends to me. Something came from inside the hair, small moving tentacles and I grabbed my own, just to see that my hair was designed the same way.

„What is that?", I asked and looked at Tsu`tey. „That´s _Tsaheylu_. The bond.", he explained and I remembered that Tommy spoke about it very often.

„It´s their bond to Eywa, their bond to nature. Every Na`vi´s born with _Tsaheylu_.", I heard him say and looked at Sarlez.

There were bigger tentacles on the left and right of his head and opened out into those small, reddish I held my hair-ends near Sarlez _Tsaheylu_ and the veins bonded.

The horse snorted wildly and took a step back. I cringed in shock but tried to calm him. „_Sìltsan, sìltsan_!", I whispered and patted his neck. Tsu`tey watched me while I tried to understand what happened to me. It was a strange feeling, hard to describe.

I felt another soul in my head, another voice that spoke to me though it didn´t speak any language I knew. My arms and legs felt stronger, I smelled every single facet in the air and somehow I could see the world in a different way.

I felt my own weight on my back, felt my own movements on my skin and on the other side I felt nothing but myself, sitting on a horse. Though I saw and felt everything from my perspective, it mixed with the horses impressions.

I was both, Sarlez and myself.

I gasped in surprise, overhelmed by the stirring experience. „W-Wow! It´s amazing!", I gasped and finally I was able to look at Tsu`tey without feeling dizzy. „Does it always feel like that?", I asked and Tsu`tey nodded.

„Keep up."

His voice was silent, I could only guess what he said and it confused me until he gave me the answer. Suddenly Tsu`teys horse disappeared and I felt Sarlez muscles tense before he stormed after Tsu`tey. For the first moment I was totally startled and nearly fell. I tried my best to stay on my horse, held onto his neck and was tempted to close my eyes. But Sarlez thoughts were just as dizzy as mine and a rider with closed eyes wouldn´t cause anything but chaos..

What an asshole!

That was the only thought I could grab that moment and my anger cooled me, opened my eyes again and I could see that Tsu`teys mare was only a few horse`s lenght away infront of me. He was a good rider, nobody could deny that, but there was such an arrogance in his movements, his posture, that I felt my stomach revolt in rage. I knew he wanted to test me, to bring me out of my shell. I´ve been an idiot believing that he would try to help me, no chance! Tsu`tey wanted everything to dance after his pipe, his way or the highway.

So I begged Sarlez mentally to go faster, to reach him and-to my surprise-Sarlez snorted delightedly and increased the speed. We catched up with Tsu`tey and the incredible feeling of strenght spread thorugh my body. Sarlez was an equal part of my body and we worked together to prove a point.

For the first moment the uncontrolled movements of the stallions body gave me a good shake but I tried to match my movements with his and soon I increasingly moved with him. My eyes locked on Tsu`teys back and the decreasing space between us. Slowly but steadily I moved next to him until he turned his head and saw that I´ve got pretty close.

He grinned faintly and made his mare turn aprubtly to the left and I commanded Sarlez to do the same and follow him. Luckily the stallion was pretty excited about the hot pursuit and concentrated on our enemy. I felt strange, hunting that warrior who was meant to teach me, but actually it was fun.

Suddenly the light changed, the trees disappeared for a moment and we reached a big clearing where a lot of horses browsed. And he stopped.

I cringed and send only one right thought to Sarlez: „Stop!" and he stopped, just an inch from Tsu`teys horse.

The tall warrior grinned gloatingly when I stopped, panting as if I ran a marathon. I frowned while I tried to calm my heart and breath and he seemed pretty amused. „Okay, what was that for?", I asked sullenly and patted Sarlez neck who panted not less than me.

But he couldn´t answer, another male voice caught my attention when it called my name.

„Anna!"

I turned around just to see Jake running over to me. He grinned but looked strangely different. I rose a brow, kinda clueless what exactly was different. He came closer and I noticed the change, wrinkling my nose.

„Jake, why are you coveres with mud?", I asked and made a face at him. He laughed, patting Sarlez neck. „Well, animals aren´t my antural friends, ya know? I fell from the horse and landed in this big puddle over there.", he said and was mightly amused of the mud on his skin. He even wiped some dirt from his tongue and frowned. „There´s only one thing I can say: Ew! That´s disgusting, Jake! Couldn´t you land elsewhere?", I said and stroke some dirt from his forehead. He didn´t answer, his eyes switched over at Tsu`tey.

„You should go. That would be better for you.", the head warrior said and grinned, but Jake wasn´t deterred. He grinned back. „You would miss me.", he said and rose a brow. „I knew you speak my language."

Tsu`tey didn´t answer, his eyes wandered over to an approaching Neytiri and he said something to her, unluckily in Na`vi. She only shook her head, looking at me. „Well, my mother was right. Eywa created you to be a warrior.", she said and this time her smile was a real smile. Her scary calmness made me insecure and I couldn´t help but giggle nervously. „Well, I´m not sure if I am the right person to become a warrior, but I guess I´m not made for a life as home tender.", I said and her smiling eyes examined my face.

Jake snorted with laughter. „Oh you can be so happy that she´s not chosen to be a home tender. Anna can´t cook, her food is so terrible.", he said and chuckled, I showed him the finger. „I guess your puddle of mud waits for you.", I said and watched him when Naytiri said good bye and led him back to the horse. „One more time!", she said and Jake grinned and waved.

I sighed, shook my head and turned back at Tsu`tey. The warrior mustered Jake with a mixture of mockery and suspicion but when he met my gaze, his eyes showed nothing but a teachers rigor. He turned around to lead me back into the forest.

„Well, I cannot agree with Tsahìk, but it´s not up to me to decide. We will start tomorrow, your weak arms and legs need strenght, you must learn how to see, to feel and to hear. You cannot ride, you cannot fight. This won´t be an easy plan, so don´t except any mercy.", he said and my heart sank to my boots.

I spend the day with riding and wished that all would end immediately. My cheeks didn´t stop burning in ebarrassement, Tsu`tey called me down whenever there was the chance to and unluckily I behaved most of the time incredible stupidly. I looked ridiculous when I tried to climb onto Sarlez back, I had problems with leading the horse and Tsu`tey griped the whole time.

„Sit upright!", he called and I tried to straighten my back. My hands hurted, my legs felt numb and Tsu`teys permanent complaining was annoying! So damn annoying!

He came over to me, grabbed my wrist and forced my hand onto Sarlez neck.

„Hold on to him, he´s not made of glass. Even if he´d be, you wouldn´t be strong enough to break him, so make sure you don´t fall down.", he griped again and I had a hard time not to whine in pain.

His hand was too hard, too tight around mine and he pressed it even closer to Sarlez skin. Then he let go as if he´d burned his hand and I felt the blood rush into my tingling flesh, the feeling of numbness faded away. Tsu`tey stepped back and send a checking glance to the sky. It was colored in burning red and so the forest glimmered in a dim rosy light. I sighed in relief when Tsu`tey turned around and jumped onto his horse, but the relief faded away when the mare stormed away in full speed and I had to run Sarlez. His movements turned into a fast gallop and I felt every single bone in my body.

We reached the hometree and a lot of the other Na´vi stopped to watch us approaching. I felt my cheeks heat up and tried not to look like the newbie I was. Tsu`tey stopped near one of the huge roots and jumped down while the horse still moved, then he waited until I catched up with him and jumped down too. My legs felt as if they´d drop me every moment, but I didn´t show it. Tsu`tey nodded and ordered some young men to take care of the horses, then he led me over to the big fire where everyone sat and ate yet.

Tsu`tey walked over to Mo`at, who smiled at me, Eytukan, who ignored me and Neytiri, who was busy with talking to her father. His movements were smooth and not a bit exhausted, compared to him I felt like an old woman.

Somebody grabbed my hand and pulled me down next to him and after first second of fright I noticed it was Jake. He´d washed the dirt of his body but looked harassed himself, his hair was loose here and there and his movements were stiff.

I sat down, growning. „Gosh! I hope Grace doesn´t plan a coffee party for tonight.", I said and took the peice of meat Jake offered me. I was so tired, I didn´t taste anything and didn´t care about it. All I wanted to do was going to bed and sleep. Jake poked my shoulder. „You shouldn´t play the poor victim. Tsu`tey watches you and I guess he will maul you even more if he sees you like that. I guess he likes suffering people.", he said and I straightened immediately though my eyes were heavy and hurted and I didn´t dare to look at Tsu`tey.

Luckily Eytukan stood up pretty soon and we all were allowed to go. I took Jakes hand, when he reached it to me, and pulled him up to his feet so we could go upstairs together. But Tsu`tey planned otherwise. He waved me to come over to him and I sighed and trotted towards the tall head warior.

„You´ll come here tomorrow, at sunrise.", he said and with that he ended the conversation and left with some other warriors, leaving me standing there like a dumbass. „`kay.", I mumbled and followed Jake up to the hammocks. He climbed down inot his while I nearly fell into mine. I closed my eyes and opened them again, just to face the inside of my Link Unit.

Getting out of the plastic casket was another challenge and I was relieved that Norm came to rescue me. He grabbed my hand and helped me to sit up, the he cringed when he looked at my face. „My god, you´re white as a sheet!", he gasped and helped me drinking some water. I smiled weakly, taking the cup into both hands, otherwhise I wouldn´t have been able to hold it.

„Don´t worry Norm, I´m okay. Really!", I said insistently and swung my legs to the floor. Grace appeared next to me and before she could ask anything, I said: „Mo`at appointed Tsu`tey to be my mentor and I guess he has intentions to kill me. I am totally pooped, my head hurts, I go to bed now! Night!"

And with that I trotted over to the exit, along the endless hallways to our room, climbed up into my bed and fell asleep just when my cheek hit the pillow, fully dressed and through with the world.

* * *

^^ Poor Anna! Tsu`tey´s soooo mean, I guess I´ll make Anna become a first-class warrior so she takes over his job! XD Nah, joke. That would be a good idea for a parody but this is honest. Kinda...Well, I hope you liked this chaper, I just love it. Please review, would be very happy if you do! ^^

Love, LR


	7. Conflicts

Hohoho! ^^ I hope you all had a nice christmas with your families and friends and to all of you: A happy new year! ^^ Well, I am ready for a new year with a lot of new ideas for my FFs! I hope you all will enjoy my future chapters, have fun with reading and review to motivate the little layman author I am. I want to thank all the people that alerted, favourited and reviewed my story, I love and thank you and now enjoy! ^^ (DRUMS PLEASE!)

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Jakes POV

I felt kinda relieved that Anna went to bed immediately.

Her face was pale and tensed when I just saw her jump out of the Link Unit and storm out of the control center.

She didn´t look left nor right but her legs shook and I knew it would be better to leave her alone right now. Without Anna around, my task would be an easy one and I tried to tell myself that there was nothing wrong with what I was up to do.

I watched Norm and Grace talk about the happenings of the day and got no answer to my murmured `good night´. I guess they totally forgot about me being around which wasn´t surprising. They were literally flabbergasted that Tsu`tey of all people had been chosen to take care of Annas education.

Well, actually I´d also been pretty surprised about that when they suddenly arrived on that horses.

I was worried. Anna was way to wispy for a warrior but though that fact, Tsahìk decided for her and left her in the hands of the head warrior.

I said good bye to Max, the only person in the room who wasn´t totally beside himself with joy, and moved along the hallways to the landing field.

I promised to do this, now I couldn´t go back. Quaritch gave me that one task: to spy on the Omaticaya. So simple, so damn simple! The natives didn´t suspect him, with his Avatar at the hometree, what could a small dream walker do?

Obviously they didn´t think of Anna as a danger and so eveyrithing would go easy. So I moved along the hallways, searching for a gray-haired, scarred hulk.

I actually thought that Quaritch would be hard to find, but suddenly he stepped out of the military centers door and noticed me. He waved me closer and I felt like a criminal or somebody you don´t want to get public. As if I was a smuggled good.

Quaritch led me into the room and introduced me to the other four guys that waited for us. They stood around a hologram platform and mustered me entering.

Annoying!

Well, Quaritch seemed pretty amused about that and grinned.

„Ladies, this will be interesting.", he said and nodded at me.

* * *

Annas POV

My arms felt so relaxed, my shoulders didn´t hurt anymore and I didn´t want to open my eyes. Bed was too good to stand up, too soft and comfortable. But when I thought that, I forgot about my roomie downstairs. Certainly Jake didn´t plan to let me sleep and so he began to knock against the bed frame.

„Anna...", he murmured and I rolled my eyes though I kept them shut. Jake didn´t even bother to make me stand up or to give me a lecture about punctuality, this sleepy „Anna..." was both, statement and request and meant nothing but „Get your ass out of bed!"

I didn´t say anything and climbed down from my bed. In slow motion.

I searched for the door knob and finally grabbed it, when Jakes sleepy voice hold me back from opening it. „The bathroom is to the right, princess."

I turned like a sleepwalker and opened the real bathroom door, so I got rid of my clothes I slept in and stepped into the shower. Eyes still closed.

I took my time to find the faucet and the can but finally my hair was dried and I was fully dressed.

„I need breakfast today. I didn´t really eat something the last days and my stomach is going to kill me. See ya in a minute.", I said when I left the room. Jake nodded on his way to the bathroom. Sometimes I wondered how he managed everything without his legs. But I guess he was too stubborn too let anybody help him so he needed to manage everything no matter how.

I entered the control center and mumbled a silent `morning´.

Norm looked up from his paper work and handed smiled while he handed me a cup of coffee. I gulped it down at once and bit into the bagle Norm handed me. „You seem...hungry.", he said and laughed. I nodded and sat down next to him, rubbing my forehead with an annoyed groan.

That seemed to worry Norm. „What´s wrong? Does your head ache?" I shook my not hurting head and ate my bagle. „It´s just...Tsu`tey. He´s so strict and sophisticated. I don´t know if I´m the right person to do this, Tsu`tey´s going to kill me with his lessons. Or kill my little amount of self-confidence.", I said and rubbed my eyes. I didn´t wear any make-up, being in a Link Unit all day had something positive, nobody cared how I look.

My complexion had never been that soft and clear before and somehow I didn´t bother what Norm may think of my unmade-up look.

I was still busy with eating, when he suddenly grabbed my hand. I was nearly swamped my surprise and looked up at him just to see the bad blush on his face. „Don´t worry, Anna. You will become a good warrior.", he said and I had a hard time fighting with my blush. „B-But...even Grace thinks I´m a total loser.", I whispered, not able to speak louder. He laughed and shook his head so his nut-brown hair followed his movements. „Grace may be grumpy, but she thinks the world of you. Don´t get discouraged."

I gulped and nodded, my face even more flushed than his. He gave me a shy and nervous smile and stood up when Max came in sight.

„Morning, princess. Ready to face the monster?", he said and smiled an encouraging smile. I was about to answer when Grace appeared from somewhere behind me and handed me a sandwich. „Of course she´s ready. Not many people are able to handle Tsu`tey that way, you did a good job yesterday.", she said appreciatively and patted my back, while I ate the sandwich. I didn´t taste anything but my stomach still revolted for more so I ated it, imagining how Moms sandwiches tasted.

„Well, we need to hurry.", Grace said, checking her watch. „The village life starts in the early morning and the sun is up to rise."

I stuffed my mouth with the rest of the sandwich and followed Grace over to the Link Unit to lie down. And sighed. „Don´t worry, Anna. You´re just as gritty as your brother and he´s a soldier since he´s twenty-one." I didn´t bother to resolve her inexperience, that Jake was the only one who was really made for a life as world traveler and soldier, that my character missed his easiness. Instead I didn´t say anything.

Just waited until she´d closed the cover and the colors pulled me with them to my Avatar.

I took my time to stand up from my hammock, not because I was tired as yesterday but because of the chance to a painful, mortifying lesson wth dear Tsu`tey. He really should learn something about pedagogy., I though and tied up my hair so it wouldn´t hinder me while training. Yellin at the student isn´t a good way to impart subjects. I climbed up the branch and made my way down the tree, sure that Tsu`tey would be waiting and angry with me for being too late.

Some of the Omaticayas greeted me, some young girls mustered me disparagingly and I tried to ignore those silent statements of dislike and concentrate on the nice faces. Just as I expected, Tsu`tey was already waiting and he looked just as bugged as always. I sighed and walked over to him though I was really tempedt to turn around and leave on my own.

He noticed me and the expression of annoyance heightened even more.

Great!

„You´re late.", he said and looked at me emphatically, but I was unwilling to shrink under his view. I looked up at him without blushing.

„I´m sorry.", I said and waited for him to announce the subject at the present day. He watched me a moment, then he turned around and left just as yesterday and I followed him with a silent sigh. We walked away from the hometreee and passed the pastures. „Well, we won´t ride today?", I asked, a bit surpised. After my modest beginnings yesterday, I thought he would make me spend another day on horse back. But obviously he planned something more evil.

„We will train with the bow and try to improve your reflexes.", was all he said but luckily he had no problem with my question.

Something behind me snorted and I spun around just to recognize Sarlez right behind me. He shook his head and mustered me as if he expected me to ride with him today. I stopped and patted his mouth. „Hey boy!", I whispered and smiled, happy with the situation. It somehow comforted me that Sarlez still remembered his clumsy rider from yesterday and obviously liked me.

He nudged my shoulder with his mouth and whickered silently, his eyes widened with an unspoken question. I understood the searching movements of his tentacles but I softly pushed them away from me. „Not today, Sarlez.", I whispered and caressed his blaze. Though I spoke English he seemed to understand me and whickered sadly. „Tomorrow.", I said, patted his neck and send him away with a soft slap on his butt.

I watched him trotting back to his flock and looked around, searching for Tsu`tey. He sat on a large root, a few meters away from me and watched the scene between Sarlez and me. His eyes were thoughtful but he stood up immediately when I reached him and walked deeper into the forest, just to come across a group of idle adolescents.

I really felt bad for them when the head warrior told me to wait and walked over to them.

The poor boys jumped up just to get a good telling-off. They looked to the floor or blushed im embarassment, even more because I was close and heard Tsu`tey scold. I couldn´t hold back a smile when the head warrior began to gesture and point in my direction. I had no chance to understand his fast Na`vi but I was sure that he called them down pretty hard, using me as audience to show them that they were making a fool of themselves.

He looked angry and annoyed and that calmed me. It really did, because I suddenly understood him, standing there with crossed arms and frowning.

He wasn´t annoyed just because of me, it was his way to behave. After all he was the head warrior and the future Oloeyktan, a really important position. He couldn´t walk around and grin all day, nobody would take him seriously as the leader if he´d be a funny, nice guy. With a disdainful hiss the boys were dismissed and passed me by. I gave them an apologizing smile and walked over to Tsu`tey. He looked after his young fosterlings while they ran back to hometree and shook his head.

Why the hell did I fear him that much this morning?

„Poor boys! I guess they wished that the ground would open and swallow them up.", I said and grinned, turned around to look after them. Tsu`tey frowned and seemed a bit irritated, but he didn´t say anything.

„Follow.", he said and walked away, waving me after him. I sighed and felt like a stupid child that trotted after his teacher. So I closed up with him until I walked next to the tall man who gave me a suspicious glance. „Why does Tsahìk think I can be a warrior?", I asked. My first thought, the first I spoke out with him around me.

Tsu`tey looked at me, even more irritated. „What is it?", I asked though I knew what confused him. Yesterday I´d been a small quiet girl and today I dared to talk to him, ask him questions and make jokes.

„You shouldn´t talk that much, woman.", he said and looked away from me. I rose a brow but held one of my famous comments back. I was confident enough to talk to him but I didn´t want him to be angry with me. So I looked up at him and frowned a bit. „You really prefer me to be around all day and remain in silence?", I asked but he didn´t react, only shook his head in silent disinterest and pushed me infront of him.

„Be quiet and listen.", he said and I bit my lips. Obviously he was convinced to hate me, I felt his icy view on my back and abandoned the field. If he didn´t want to talk then I wouldn´t talk.

He pushed me over to a clearing, said something to another man and thrusted a bow into my hands. The clearing was another training station.

A lot of boys and young man worked in groups, here and there I saw a small bunch of girls. They all were here to train with the bow but they seemed busy with watching the young men and giggle. Of course they all stared at Tsu`tey now and then as if they didn´t know that he would mate with Neytiri one day. „Stop staring.", he suddenly said and clapped me onto the back so the force made me take a step forwards. Then he stepped to the side and looked at me.

I still had the bow, looked at it, back at Tsu`tey and asked what to do. „Bend the bow!", he said and I did it without knowing if I did it right or wrong. The arrow pressed against my fingers, I held its end like I´ve seen it in all the movies. „Now stay like that!", Tsu`tey ordered and stepped over to me. Of course he began to adjust everything and griped. „The arm stronger, tense your muscles. Your stomach is too soft, breath in. Head to the left."

After a perceived hour I was allowed to let my hurting arms down. I groaned in pain and rubbed the cramped muscles. Tsu`tey nodded.

„Once more!"

* * *

In the end I sat on the floor and listened to Tsu`teys lecture. All the other training groups were gone and the only people around were Tsu`tey and me.

I wasn´t willed to listen to him anymore, my head ached, my arms nearly pulsed with pain but I was far away from the dejection I felt yesterday. I was only exhausted but awake enough to frown, when he began to criticize evrything about my first steps with the bow. Again.

„Tsahìk really tests my patience.", he murmured, sighed and covered his face with his hands to rub his eyes. I sat infront of him and remained silent. I knew that I was anything but an ideal candidat but what did he expect? A secret top agent? I was anything but that. Tsu`tey kept on with his rant, but I didn´t listen anymore. He didn´t watch me so I could look around and muster my surrounding.

When Tsu`teys trained voice didn´t rip the air, I often looked around and mustered the plants, the flowers or the strange animals. My tongue nearly burned from all the questions I had but my teachers strict expression held me back from asking. I really wanted to know the name of the salamander that was able to slide through the hair, what this fruit over there tasted like, how they called those trees and those fungi over there.

„Woman, you better listen if you don´t wanna die when you´re on a chase.", Tsu`teys voice ripped me out of my thoughts. Strangely I reacted quite angry, with more anger than I felt. But again he called me `woman´. As if I was nothing but a thing to him.

„Stop that damn `woman´-babbling. I do have a name, Tsu`tey. My name´s Anna so use it!", I hissed and rested my hands on my knees, looking at him angrily. The head warrior stared back with sheer disgust in his eyes. His hands shook, closed and opened again as if he wanted to slap me or something, but neither his wrathful expression nor the fact that he was way taller and stronger than me, scared me that moment.

I stood up to equate the size difference. With me sitting on the floor like a scared rabbit he wouldn´t take me seriously, in that posture I would only be a child. But now, standing infront of him in full size, he listened. He had to!

„I may not be a man and I may not be strong but I won´t let you talk to me like that. Not even if you´re the head warrior, Tsu`tey.", I hissed. He jumped up immediately and stormed away without looking at me. His black hair nearly flew after him but I wouldn´t run after that bullethead. I crossed my arms infront of my chest and looked after him. The tall head warrior stopped, whistled and two horses appeared from out of the bushes. I felt kinda happy to see that one of them was Sarlez. Well, Tsu`tey was angry with me, but he wouldn´t leave me behind alone.

Tsahìk would spit fire., I though and couldn´t help but grin about that thought. Mo`at knew how to handle the men at hometree, she could prevail succesfully against them. I patted Sarlez mouth when he came over to me, while Tsu`tey climbed onto his own horse. He gave me a short, contemptuous glance, then he hurried his horse on and left the clearing. I didn´t follow him, he would like that, wouldn´t he? I sat down on the floor and gave Sarlez a short happy laughter when he sank down next to me and waited patiently. I patted his neck and watched the sun set behind the trees. Soon he home tenders would set the big campfires alight, the meal would began and Jake would wonder where I stayed out. Well, not only my dear brother would be surprised when Tsu`tey would arrive without me.

I couldn´t shake off the feeling that Mo`at liked me and so she would be my hardest advocate.

The suns light was nearly invisible when I decided to give in and go back to hometree. I wouldn´t eat with all the others, I would straightly go to bed without looking left nor right. Well, in the end I jumped on Sarlez back, went to hometree and arrived, disturbing the harmony at the meal. A lot of people stared at me, some of them amused, some angry. But I didn´t look back.

As quiet as possible I skipped over to Jake, busy with not catching too much attention.

Of course I felt Tsu`teys eyes follow me but I didn´t grudge him a single glance. I sat down next to Jake who mustered me with cramped lips and ate. My dear brother had a hard time not to laugh, I knew that. Obviously he noticed Tsu`teys dogged expression and put two and two together when he arrived without me. Today the meal lasted longer than the days before. I didn´t know why but after a hour of nervous fidget, Mo`at stood up and seemed to ask her mate to dissolve the mea. After that single word and glance, Eytukan allowed his people to go.

Jake took my arm and pulled me away from the group so nobody noticed silent laughter. „What have you done to Tsu`tey? When he came here, he looked as if he swallowed a frog up.", he said and calmed a bit. I shrugged my shoulders. „I told him not to call me `woman´as if I´m an object.

It was annoying and obviously he cannot stand to be criticized.", was all I said and the I took jakes arm and led him back to the tree. The hammock upstairs were nearly all occupied, today everybody went to bed pretty early.

„Now tell how you´re doing. I guess Neytiri doesn´t treat you like a stupid child?", I asked and pouted a bit. Why wasn´t Jake the one who got chosen as Tsu`teys student? Why me?

Jake shrugged his shoulders. „Well, she thinks I´m an idiot. I never fought with bow ever it´s fun. Well, the horses are my problem.", he said and rose a brow.

Obviously he was too lazy or to tired to say more. I sighed and lay on my back just to grimace in pain.

„Ow, my shoulder!", I whined and rubbed my eyes. Jake just laughed but then his body lay motionless in his hammock, obviously he was busy with getting to the shower and deplete our hot water. I groaned and slapped my hand onto my forehead.. He´s such a child!, I thought and closed my eyes. A cold shower wasn´t a magnificent view to a smooth evening without horses and bitching head warriors.

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^^ Muahahahahaaaaaa! It´s so cute when Anna squabbles with Tsu`tey XD Hope you love it just as me and REVIEW! Please? Well, that´s it for January, I have to learn for my exams now... -.-...greeeaaaat! keep your fingers crossed for me! After my exams I will start with my next chapter, k? And it will be awesome! Promise! Hope you liked it, liked it very, very much and review!

Love, LR!


	8. Touched

Yeeeeaaaahhh! ^^ Pre-exams are over: My english and german was well, good enough, but I screwed my math up. -.- As I expected. Now I´m back and I´m eighteen! ^^ hurray! For all the people in america: it´s like being 21, you can do whatever you want :D Well, here´s my next chapter, hope you all like it and review.

^^ Pls enjoy!

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Annas POV

The sun was nothing but a pale stain behind the clouds. The temperatures were hot as ever and I sweated. For the first time, Tsu`tey wouldn´t be able to blame me for being late. Actually he was the one to blame because it was already noon and there wasn´t even a curl of him in sight. I sat at the end of a hometree root and waited; I waited since sunrise.

A lot of young warriors passed me by, some of them mustered me curiously, but neither did I react to some girls gloating giggles nor to their boys glances. Everywhere the home tenders worked, collected berries, divided the hunters bag up, cooked and baked. I watched an old woman yell after a group of kids that stole some small cakes infront of her eyes and everybody laughed.

Tonight there would be a great important festival. The festival of light. I knew that it denoted the new year and the Omaticaya celebrated in honor of Eywa. They would ask for a good year with a fertile crop, rain, good bags and wholesomeness for the tribe. But I couldn´t concentrate on something like that, though it would be a central part of my life now.

I waited for Tsu`tey and the today´s exertions he´d planned for me. I was pretty sure that he´d retaliate for my pretentious words. I leaned back and sighed. Why is this so complicated?, I asked myself and looked up at the clouds. My god, I really wanted to play their part. Since our arrival I lost my sense of time, my life consisted of day and night and actually I didn´t have any time to care about date and month.

That loss of control made me nervous. I wasn´t used to that state of cluelessness, it mad eme nervous and scared. I wanted the real, normal Anna back, the Anna that felt the world around her instead of watching it with her eyes. The person I could always build on, but becoming a warrior forced me to use my eyes. The longer I stayed here the more my life turned out to be a mess and step by step everything became even more complicated.

_The day before..._

„_Good night!" I waved at Norm and the others, ready to act the same as every evening. There was no life between Link Unit and Hometree. I woke up every morning, gulped down some food and coffee and then sank back into my surreal live as one of the Omaticaya. Jake lifted himself out of the Link Unit and sat down into his wheelchair. I was so tired. _

_When he started a small-talk with Max, I didn´t bother to wait for him and so I left without Jake. I scuffled along the corridors, said good night to some of the scientists that crossed my way and rubbed me eyes now and then. I moved at snail´s pace and got lost for two times. Well, I didn´t watch where I was going and cursed my tired brain when I noticed that this was the wrong direction. _

_I just turned the right corner, when I noticed a special person that came along the other hallway on my left, so I stopped, sneaked myself back into a dark corner and waited. I wanted to scare Jake though I was so tired. _

_But he passed me by, the wheels squeaked a bit and he cursed them with a hoarse mumble. I was a bit irritated, stepped out of my hideout and waited. Maybe he´d seen me and wanted to scare me now himself. But Jake didn´t come back. Obviously he didn´t plan to go to bed, otherwhise he would´ve come in my direction._

_Where the hell is he going?, I thought when he turned the corner and disappeared from my view. It really confused me, so I sneaked after him. Soon I knew where he headed to, the Hell´s Gate. Why would he go to hell´s Gate? About that time? Jake turned around now and then, as if he feared that someone would follow him. I kept my distance but sneaked after him. Often I had to wait a minute so he wouldn´t see me, sometimes I lost sight of him and ran in every possible direction until I found him._

_Quaritch!, I thought. That was the only good explanation. I remembered the conversation they had a few days before. Quaritch didn´t want me around, of course not! When I turned the corner, I saw Jake disappear in a room on the right side. Strangeöly they didn´t close the door so I stepped closer as soundless as possible. „Sully, there you are! I hope you do have some new informations for me." That was Quaritchs voice and I pressed myself closer to the wall, cringing away from the sound involuntarily. I heard Jake clear his throat._

„_I do, Colonel." A strange buzzing resounded, obviously someone turned on the holograph. „Well, the tree´s nothing but a big volute. One in the center, then another around the first, and another. Like a mantle. That´s how they get up- and downstairs." I listened to jakes report and my heart began to bump as if it wanted to explode. This can´t be true!, I thought and tried to understand what was going on._

„_We need scans of every single roof...Sully?"_

„_Okay, boss."_

_I stepped back and pressed my hand onto my mouth to muffle my hysteric gasp, at the same time I tried to calm myself. There were no evidence to justify my hysteria, I hadn´t heard anything about war or something. But the mere thought of Jake making common cause with that monster..._

_Why? Why´s he even interesten in something like that? Quarict´s not even a scientist!, I thought and decided to leave when Jake started talking again. _

_I´d heard enough. _

_So I stumbled away from the military center and maybe I made a bit too much noise with my shoes, because I heard the door close a second later._

_Shit!, I thought. Hopefully they don´t come after me. _

_But the steps stopped far away from me and I turned around to go back to our room. I closed the door as soundless as possibled and leaned against the wall, panting like a drowning. My oppressed hysteria broke free and I began to shake. My brain had a hard time with all this, because I couldn´t understand the situation. My brother worked together with an abysmally malicious man who had the power to destroy everything and who would love to do that._

_What is he up to? Does he plan to destroy the hometree?_

_The thought was ringing in my head and I mumbled it like a mantra, over and over again._

_Quaritch needed those informations, his ordnance needed to know the weak spots of the homtrees structure and Jake was the perfect man to do the job._

_I stepped into the bathroom, locking the door behind my back. Everything connected and assumed a form. _

_There was only one thing I didn´t understand: Why would Jake help him?I switched on the hot water and stayed in the shower until my skin was red and the water pearled from the slabs on the wall. I´d calmed as good as possible and searched for a solution. Quaritch would try to destroy the Omaticaya, I was the only one who knew about his plan, the only other person was Jake and he was about to help Quaritch with his wicked plan._

_And only god knows what that monster promised him for betraying the Na`vi., I thought and stepped out of the shower._

_End Flasback...  
_

„Anna!"

I nearly jumped out of my skin when a big hand lay down on my shoulder and squeezed it slightly. I cringed away from the touch, just to notice the tall Na`vi next to me. He looked different: his body was covered with beige pants, a beige t-shirt and tough tramping boots. On his head he wore a baseball cap in the same colour. I needed a moment to recognize the smile on his face, his nose and his laughing eyes.

„Norm...? Is that really you?", I asked and watched him with widened eyes, when he sat down next to me, laughing a bit about my startled expression. „Yeah, it´s really me. Don´t look at me like a fish.", he said and shoved one finger below my chin to make me close my mouth when I didn´t react.

I cleared my throat, a bit embarrassed because of my rude welcome. „Why are you here? I thought dreamwalker are forbidden at the hometree?", I asked and mustered the people around us furtively. Of course everybody stared at Norm and me, most of the Omaticaya seemed literally shocked and whispered.

I gulped my worry down and turned back to Norm who watched our surrounding with the typical fascinated scientists expression.

„Your brother persuaded Mo`at to let us enter the village.", he said and watched a group of young warriors pass by. „Actually I thought it wouldn´t work, but yesterday he spoke with Max and Grace. Obviously Mo`at trusts him."

„But the Olo`eyktan..." I couldn´t imagine that Eytukan would permit that plan. Of all people I knew, Eytukan was the last one to believe and trust Jake.

Norm laughed. „Mo`at can be very convincing.", he said, still busy with examining the village. He nearly sucked the pictures up.

Oh, yeah...the Tsahìk., I thought. Mo`at knows how to handle her mate. I remembered all the meals we had with the people, the gatherings and that Mo`at was always the moving power. Actually I couldn´t get rid of the suspicion that Mo`at was the real Olo`eyktan, but she pulled the strings secretly.

The new informations churned me up inside

My brother, the betrayer, who wanted to build a bridge between our friendlies and the Na`vi. My brother, who helped the man that wanted to destroy all of this. How did that fit?

„It´s so great to be here. I always tried to imagine what it would be like to visit the hometree. I saw a lot of pictures, watched documentary films but that can´t be compared to see it myself.", Norm mumbled and pulled me out of my thoughts. Thos few days I´d spend here, sufficed to make me treat the forest as something ordinary, something trivial.

But Norms rapt expression reminded me of myself when I took my first step ond Pandora. „It´s fantastic, I know.", I mumbled and Norms excitement devolved upon me.

I couldn´t help but smiled, I didn´t know what to do else. Norm turned around and smiled, a bit embarrassed. Then he swiped my hand with his, making it look like a coincidence. I felt my cheeks heat up.

„Well, I guess your mentor will be here soon.", he said and stood up, smiling insecurely, then he disappeared with a non-committal waving. I watched him until he was out of sight.

Dear old Norm..., I thought and smiled. He was always so nice and caring, I couldn´t remember that I´d met a man like him ever before. He was intelligent, gentle, respectful, handsome,...

„I have to congratulate. Your brother made a good choice."

Again I cringed and pressed my hands onto my chest to keep my heart inside.

I spun around and noticed Tsu`tey, who stood right behind me and mustered me from head to toe as if he´d see me for the first time. My heart took it´s time to calm, then I looked up at him. „What do you mean?", I asked and wondered why everybody loved to show up without any warning and scare me like that.

Tsu`tey jumped down from the root and landed next to me. „Your brother made a good choice when he chose that man as your future mate.", he said and the first moment I didn´t understand.

„My future...oh!" The the meaning of his words crashed down on me and I felt my cheeks heat up. He watched Norm and me., I thought and my blush seemed to burn into my bones, so my whole body seemed on fire. I didn´t know what to do, nobody had ever told me how to react in such a situation. „He´s not my future mate.", I mumbled and fidgeted with my hands. „He´s...a friend."

I waited for Tsu`teys reaction, not sure of what I should expect. In the end he shrugged his shoulders and mumbled an indifferent „Whatever."

I felt relieved when he turned around and told me to follow him. He didn´t wear any weapons, not even the traditionel garb of the headwarrior. Today he was only Tsu`tey and that didn´t daunt me that much anymore. Strangeley he walked back to the inner of hometree.

„We´re not fighting today?", I asked and he shook his head, his raven hair followed his movements. „And we´re not riding?" Again he answered with a single movement of his head. I gave up on talking to him, so I waited patiently and walked after him until we reached the fourth floor. I´d never stopped in that area of hometree so I was littlebit confused when he led me over to one of the doors, lifted the curtains and looked at me. I stepped closer and entered the room, slowly and carefully. In the middle of the floor, there was a circular immersion where a crimson fire burned.

Mo`at sat infront of it, face-to-face with the door and the entering person: me.

I stepped closer, a bit anxious, because her eyes were closed and she was humming an unknown melody. She didn´t look like she´d noticed me, so I turned around once more to send a questioning glance at Tsu`tey, but he´d disappeared. When I turned back, Mo`at looked at me and smiled.

„I expected you, Anna. _Oel ngati kameie_.", she said and indicated to me to sit down on the other side of the fire. I answered her greeting with the same traditional words and felt a bit flattered that she wanted to talk to me so privately. Obviously she didn´t share her mates opinion about me and Jake.

I sat down cross-legged and smiled. „It´s nice to see you again.", I said and Mo`at smiled back. „You see me every night at the meal.", she said and strewed some herbals into the fire. A sweet penetrating scent filled the room and the fire turned orange. I stared into the flames and watched them change. „Yeah, but that´s not the same. I mean, I didn´t expect that you wanted to talk to me in the Tsahìk chambers.", I explained and Mo`at frowned a bit.

„Why shouldn´t I welcome you in the Tsahìk chambers? You´re a soul just like any other."

I needed a second to find an appropriate answer. „Because I´m not Eywas daughter." The elder woman chuckled and patted my shoulder. „My dear child, you´re very young, our culture is other to you. But of course you are Eywas daughter, Anna." I liked the way she spoke my name: A`na, a name for a real Omaticaya.

I didn´t know what to asnwer so I remained silent.

„I asked Tsu`tey if he´d interrupt the lessons for a day so I could talk to you.", she said and I had to hold me back from kissing her feet for that. „Did you talk to Jake too?", I asked but she shook her head.

„No man can understand Eywa the way a woman does. The circle of energy and life began with a woman and will end with a woman. If there´s an end. We give birth to the children, just like Eywa, we´re the bringer of life."

Her words made me stand in awe of her even more. I´d watched her face while she spoke and she´d looked at me like a loving mother. Again she strewed some herbals into the flames and this time it turned green. Suddenly the room looked eerie, as if it was underwater. Mo`at looked at me with serious eyes. „Eywa send you here. Last night I had a vision about you."

I moved a bit closer, her voice had lowered so I had a hard time to understand her whispering.

„About me?" I didn´t know if I should be worried or happy about that. Mo`at nodded and stared into the fire. „I saw you in a warriors garb, riding a Banshee across the sky." I sighed slightly. That was nothing to be afraid of. Sooner or later, I would tame my own Banshee, a flying lizard, just like any other warrior and hunter.

„And then a gigantic shadow fell upon you, iron men fired at you. Fume, flames and noise. And then the hometree fell."

I stiffened, my eyes widened and I could barely breath. Pure shock gripped me to the marrow and Mo`at nodded with a sad and worried expression on her face. „Eywa´s in an uproar. I´m afraid that she sees mischief approach the Omaticaya." My hands began to shiver, my mouth dryed off and luckily Mo`at changed the fires color, otherwhise I would´ve fled out of the room. I saw the colors, the scene she´d seen in her vision. I felt every single feeling that lived in her vision and suddenly my voice awoke with an own will.

„I knew it.", I gasped and leaned back. My hands lay on my forehead and my chest lifted pretty fast. I couldn´t control myself when it broke out of me again: „I knew it!" Actually I didn´t know what to do. My brother betrayed the Omaticaya and Quaritch would attack, I knew that but I didn´t know how to handle it, didn´t plan to tell it anybody.

Now my subconsciousness acted without my permission and assistance. I stared at Mo`at and she looked literally demonic in that pink light.

„He will destroy the Omaticaya, Mo`at! He will come with iron and fire and he won´t repose until the last Omaticaya´s dead!" I was scared of myself when I took her arm and my mouth started talking again. I wanted to tell her that this wasn´t my fault, that I didn´t know what happened to me. But someone else seemed to speak from deep inside of me. My hands shivered even more. Mo`at looked at me, honest and calm as if she´d expected that outburst of mine. She grabbed my hand and patted it calmingly.

„He´s malicious, he´s no feeling creature! The man will come, very soon, he will know everything and he will kill the innocent and the warriors that fight against him! Mo`at!"

I sank back, trembling like an aspen leaf. Now I saw worry in the Tsahìk eyes. „Anna, _sìltsan!_ You told me everything, calm down. It´s over." I clinged to her hand as if I feared to drown and stared into the fire. What happens to me?, I thought despaired but that moment my head was empty, there were no emotions. All I felt was my shaking body.

Mo`at called something and a second later, strong hands and arms lifted me from the floor and carried me over to a soft mat where Mo`at usually helped the injured and ill. She said something in her mother tongue, but I needn´t to understand her words to feel her worry. I couldn´t see who carried me, my whole attention was pulled into my soul, like a black hole sucking up everything. I felt something stir inside of me, a foreign presence that filled me and seemed to smile.

_I see you. I know you._

Those words swirled in my mind and suddenly my chest lifted from the mat as if I were a puppet and the puppeteer pulled the string connected with my chest up into the air. Colors danced infront of my eyes, I gasped loudly-and sank back onto the soft fabric. My sight started to clear. I panted, my heart pounded very fast and I rcognized Mo`ats and Tsu`teys faces above me.

„What happened to her, Tsahìk?", the headwarrior asked and looked over to her. Mo`at still examined my face, her hands on both sides of my face. They held my head and massaged my temples, then they disappeared.

„She was touched by Eywa."

The Tsahìk leaned down a bit to gain my attention. „Anna...what happened?", she asked calmly and caressed my head. I wanted to speak but my throat was dry and so I gulped a few times before I was able to speak. „I don´t know.", I pressed out and tried to sit up, but Tsu`tey grabbed my arms and forced me to lie back onto the mat.

„Don´t!", he ordered, his eyes serious and a bit worried. I looked up at him and when he was sure that I wouldn´t try again, he let go of my arms. „There was something...deep inside of me. A presence, colours.", I said and I knew that this couldn´t describe the feeling at all.

„_I see you. I know you._"

Mo`at nodded. „As I said, she was touched by Eywa." I lifted my hands to rub my eyes. „Jake...", I mumbled against my skin. Luckily I didn´t blow, that Jake was the one to blame. If all this was real and Eywa touched me, she knew that Jake helped them who planned to erase her children. Why didn´t she open this secret to the world? Did she understand, that she would sign my brothers death warrant? „Jake..." Tears filled my eyes. Why? Why would you do something like that? Why do I have to lie for you, Jake?

Mo`at smiled down on me. „Calm down, Anna. Tsu`tey´s already on his way to inform your brother about your breakdown." I looked up at her and noticed the soundless plea in her eyes. Nobody, not even Jake, should know that I´d been touched by a goddess a minute ago. I wouldn´t tell him anyway, he should never ever get wind of this. „I had a breakdown.", I whispered and knew that she understood the message.

Then I heard fast steps come closer and closer, big feet hit the floor and suddenly somebody literally threw the curtains away. „Anna!"

My older brother rushed into the room and fell down next to me, his hands closed around mine and his face was a mask of worry and fear. „Jake...", I mumbled and couldn´t help but smile. I mustered his face and once again the painful questions swirled in my head. Why would he betray the Omaticaya? For what? Could somebody like him even do that? My caring, loving brother.

Jakes hands caressed my hair and my cheeks. „Anna, are you alright? I...they said you had a breakdown and..." „It´s okay, Jake, calm down. I´m alright."

I smiled and patted his cheek.

„Mo`at and Tsu`tey took care of me." He turned his head and kissed my hand, his eyes full of fear. I knew that he nearly died of worry and pain; I knew that he blamed himself. But that moment I wasn´t willed to condemn him for whatever he did, because I knew that he feared nothing that much than losing me. I was everything to him, he loved me and he showed me everyday.

„I guess I didn´t eat enough lately.", I whispered and pulled myself against his chest so I could snuggle up against him. Jakes arms sneaked around me and pressed me closer. „Don´t you dare to scare me like that ever again.", he mumbled and I chuckled. I knew that Mo`at sat behind us and Tsu`tey stood next to the door; they both mustered my brother and me but I didn´t care. After a while I sat up and rubbed my legs to relax my muscles.

Mo`at helped me to stand up. „Tonight´s the festival of light and I´d hoped that you would be there. But after this I will excuse your brother and you, my mate won´t be impatient of your absence.", she said and was about to send Tsu`tey to her mate, but I put my hand onto her shoulder to hold her back.

„Don´t do that! I´m really alright and and I heard so much about that festival. I really don´t want to miss it." Mo`at send me a significant look and I knew that she was worried about me. Obviously most of the „touched" were totally exhausted after it, but I felt fresh and happy and send her a calming smile. „Jake´s here, everything will be alright.", I said and so she gave in.

Together we walked down the hometree, Tsu`tey infront of us. I walked arm in arm with Jake and mustered the headwarriors back. Mo`at called for him and he appeared. Did he wait for me infront of the door? Or did he eavesdrop?, I wondered and put my eyes elsewhere when he stopped and gave us the advantage. At the foot of the volute, Mo`at took her mates arm and waved us to follow her; Tsu`tey walked behind us.

While the ruling family sat down infront of the people, Jake and I returened to our seats at the end of all the others. We were no official Omaticayas, so we weren´t allowed to sit with all the others. But I didn´t care. I felt calm and safe and when I looked up into the starry night sky, I felt as if somebody smiled down on me.

Neytiri and her mother seemed to feel the same; when I met their looks, Neytiri lowered her head a bit as if she wanted to hint a bow and Mo`at nodded. I bowed to both of them and listened to Eytukan who said a prayer. After that Mo`at lifted from her seat and began to sing in her deep voice. After a while, all the other womans started to sing too and after another while, the male voices accompanied the song. After that, the staunch formation loosened until it finally dissolved. The formal part was over and now everybody ignited colorful lampions and changed the fires colour with the strange herbs I got to know this afternoon in Mo`ats chambers.

Jake and I stayed at our seats and together we watched the lights, listened to the vocals and the music and ate.

Jake sighed. I´d leaned my back against his shoulder and so I turned around to see his face. I couldn´t define the emotion behind his expression, so I tried to straighten his frown with my hand. „Don´t look that way. Why are you angry?", I said when he took my hand and shoved it away from his forehead. He shook his head and stroke some hair out of his face.

„I´m not angry. I just thought about Tommy.", he said and I felt the atmosphere darken. Tommy was the chosen one to see all that. Not Jake. Not me. „I miss him.", I said and leaned my head against his shoulder. Jake caressed my head and kept on watching the people around us. „He would´ve loved this so much."

I nodded and rubbed my eyes.

I didn´t have a watch or something like that, but I knew that it was pretty late at night. Or in the early morning? Whatever, I felt tired. I lifted myself from my seat and stretched my back. Then I took jakes hand and also tried to pull him to his feet; he was way too heavy but I tried and in the end he stood up himself. „You´re tired?", he asked and I yawned as answer and rubbed my eyes again. Jake grinned and took my hand, pulling me with him. „You´re still green behind the ears.", he said and I was even too tired to parry.

We passed Mo`at, Neytiri and all the others by and Jake planned to give them a short nod so they would know that we were leaving, but Neytiri jumped up and came over to us. „Jake, one moment please. We have to talk about tomorrow.", she said and Jake send me a questioning look. I smiled and nodded, so he disappeared with the future Tsahìk and I sat down at the end of the root I sat on in the morning. And again I waited.

„Anna."

I turned around, just to notice Tsu`tey next to me. He mustered me with worried eyes when I rubbed my eyes.

„Tsu`tey, what´s wrong?", I asked and had to hold back a loud yawn. „Tsahìk wants you to sleep very long and...stay at your home tomorrow.", he said and my eyes widened in surprise. „But why?", I dared to ask and Tsu`tey shrugged his shoulders. „I do not questions Tsahìk decisions and after all you were chosen by Eywa. You´re no ordinary dreamwalker anymore, you´re a „touched". So you will stop with you´re lessons as warrior and start learning with Tsahìk in two days."

First I didn´t know what to say, then I frowned. Mo`at saw me in her vision as a warrior. Why should I stop?, I thought.

„But I don´t want to stop! I want to become a warrior!", I protested and for the first time I saw a smile on Tsu`teys face. „Tsahìk said that you would react like that. Well, you´ll need one day to calm and after that we will see."

Then his eyes switched over to something else behind me and when I turned around, I noticed Jake who looked around as if he´d forgotten the place he´d left me. I smiled and shook my head, then I turned back to Tsu`tey and met his gaze. I remembered that he came to help the moment he was needed, that he lifted me as if I was a feather or something and that he´d been worried about me.

„Thank you.", I said and was sure that he´d heard me though there was music and laughing all around us. He nodded and turned to go. I jumped to my feet and rubbed my wrist with the other hand. „Sleep well.", he said and left before I could say anything. I looked after him until he disappeared between the other people. Jake appeared next to me, smiled and took my hand to lead me up the tree, but I rubbed my eyes again. „Carry me.", I mumbled and reached my hands out at him. Jake laughed, carried me piggyback and again I wondered if I was as weightless as a feather.

„Sleep well too.", I thought and imagined Tsu`teys first smile I´d every seen on his face.

* * *

My hands hurt but I`M LOVIN IT! * starts dancing * I just love that chapter and hope you enjoyed reading. XD That´s what it´s all about, baby. Well, I aplogize again, I´m sorry that you had to wait for over a month but January was horror and I spend the last few days with sleeping until noon and eating. (HOLIDAYS!) So pls review, imaginary chocolate-cookies for everybody who leaves a review! Luv u! LR


	9. Enemy Camps

Hello everyone! ^^ I´m finally back and it feels good! I have a lot of stress but nothing can hold me back now! ;) I´m afraid I screwed my math-exam up, my math teacher made some weird clues I didn´t understand but I can´t get rid of the feeling that he said something negative. Well, keep your fingers crossed for me! Let´s take a peek at the new chapter: I hope you enjoy reading and review.

Here we go!

* * *

Jake´s POV

I didn´t know why but I couldn´t get rid of the feeling that something was going on and nobody bothered to tell me. As if you enter a room full of people and all of them know a secret, all but you. I opened my link unit and rubbed my eyes, then I looked around. The whole center was empty, there was not a soul to be seen. I turned half around to take a peek at the clock on the wall and groaned, it was already 4 a.m. and Neytiri expected me at sunrise.

I sighed and lifted myself out of the link unit, sitting down into my wheelchair.

A few steps on my left another link unit opened and I remembered that my baby sister was still there. I wheeled over to Anna but my „Be careful!" was caught up in my throat when she literally fell out of the link unit, pulling the cap she was holding on to down with her.

I could only grab her arm and break her fall with my body so she landed pretty hard on me, pressing the breath out of my lungs. She hit her shin on the armrest and the cap closed with a loud crash.

„Ow...", Anna whined and rubbed her shin. „I´m sorry Jake, I..." „I´m alright, princess.", I pressed out, still a bit puffed. I lifted her off of my chest and stroke some hair out of her face. Her cheeks were pale, and she looked exhausted but not as much as she did before when I saw her in Mo`ats chambers.

I´d been more than surprised when Tsu`tey arrived and asked me to look after my sister who collapsed. And there this little feeling entered the stage again.

I mustered my little sis who had a hard time holding her head straight and wondered why nobody told me what kind of breakdown she had. Was it because of Tsu`tey bullying her or the training? And why was she upstairs the hometree and not out in the forest to train?

„Jake, can you please let go? It´s really uncomfortable to sit this way.", Anna said and ripped me out of my thoughts. I let go of her arm so she was able to sit upright instead of sitting prone over my chest.

„Sorry, sis...", I said and helped her standing up.

The entrance door flew open and crashed against wall and suddenly the room was full of scientists. They swamped inside like a big white wave and surrounded us asking thousend of questions at the same time.

Even before I knew what was happening, Norm and Max stormed over to us, followed by a red-faced Grace.

„We heard the crashing, thank god you´re finally here! We thought somebody ate you alive." Norm and Max grabbed Annas arms and led her over to a chair. Strangely all the other scientists stepped back to give them more space, then they closed in a circle around them again. I wanted to yell something, I´d seen Annas face when they´d pulled her away and though she´d been pale before, her face became white.

But Grace put her hand onto my shoulder and crouched down infront of me.

„What´s going on in here?", I asked furiously and tried to take a peek at Anna.

„Can´t you leave her alone? Her day had been hard enough!", I said but Grace didn´t listen.

„What...happened...to...Anna?", she asked with a deadly serious face and stared right into my eyes. I didn´t know what to answer, her question irritated me. But then I understood what she meant.

The scientist team monitored Annas sometic functions the whole day long so they saw it when she had a breakdown.

„She collapsed.", I answered. „That was all what Tsu`tey said when he came looking for me." Then I wheeled past her, pushing the other scientists out of my way. I didn´t mind their angry looks, they had no business staring at my sister as if she was an animal in zoo.

Anna sat on the chair, heartbreakingly scared and deathly pale. Max and Norm tried to calm the other scientists or even pushed them away when they attempted to bounce at her. That made me go crazy.

„Listen up, idiots!", I yelled, as loud as I could. The others turned over to me, surprised and irritated. „All of you leave right NOW! My sister is no funfair attraction and I swear by god, I´ll floor you if you don´t LEAVE HER ALONE!"

Grace and Max helped me with shooing them out of the center while Norm rubbed Annas arms and cheeks to stimulate the blood flow. I was tempted to yell at him too for touching her that way but I knew he meant only well instead of that annoying gazers.

Anna massaged her temples and I knew she was so down and close to tears, that she was maybe close to another collapse. „Please, make them go away...", she whined silently and Norm grabbed her hand, squeezing it tightly.

But some of those scientists dared to debate so we couldn´t get them out as fast as I wanted. „We all have a right to know what happened to her! It´s a medical miracle!", a young woman yelled at Grace, earning a flow of cusswords from her. „Don´t you see she doesn´t fell well? She needs rest and her brother who takes care of her so get out!"

Max locked the doors to be sure that nobody could get in anymore. Then he turned around, drew some clear liquor up into a syringe and injected it into Annas left crook of the arm. I watched her making a face of pain, then she sighed and leaned back. I wheeled over to Max and asked: „What was that?" and nodded into the syringes direction. „A weak sedative.", he said to calm me and sat down next to Anna, sighing and rubbing his eyes.

Then he turned his attention back to Anna and started to order her around. „Please sit upright, now touch your fingertips with your thumbs...yeah, that´s good. Okay, now open your eyes wide." He grabbed a pocket flashlight and examined Annas eyes. While the whole procedure he looked as solemn as a judge, then he leaned back and shrugged his shoulders.

Grace stepped next to him and sighed. „Nothing, hm?", she asked and scratched her neck absently, though she looked relieved. Max nodded. „She´s completely well, no indications of complications. Obviously she´d been favored by fortune." I mustered Anna worriedly and was relieved to see, that her cheeks showed a soft red and she didn´t wear this diffident expression anymore.

As if they´d taken off their worries like a coat, Norm and Grace sat down. While Norm pulled his chair next to Anna, Grace made herself bluntly comfortable on a control panel.

„Well, I want an explanation. What was that a minute ago?", I asked and pointed into the entrance doors direction. Grace pulled her cigarettes out of her pocket and lighted one, taking a deep pull.

„Norm and me...we ended our stint around noon. We had some lunch and were about to examine the new samples in the laboratory, when the alert siren started.

It notified irregular heartbeats, apnea and disturbed brainwaves." She took a deep breath as if it was the hardest task a scientist could face.

„Then we lost her. Suddenly she stopped breathing and had no pulse."

I felt my jaw drop a little more with every word she said. „Your sister was dead for five minutes." She must be joking..., I thought and looked over to my sister. Anna didn´t listen. Her head leaned on the chairback, her eyes were closed and she breathed silently. Obviously the sedative helped, she really needed some sleep. It´s better for her to sleep, maybe she´d have another collapse if she´d hear that she had been dead.

„How can that be?", I asked a bit breathless. „I mean, I know that resuscitation exists, with the electroshocks and so on. But I´ve never heard that someone´s dead and after five minutes the body functions reconstitute."

Norm shrugged his shoulders but I could see that he was totally logy. „We all held our breath and thought: no! You should´ve seen the team, they all crowded around Annas link unit and waited. I guess some of them even burst into tears but after a while the monitors showed a pulse and a steady breathing.", he explained and send a nearly reverently glance over to Anna.

I rubbed my eyes. „That explains their reaction. It really is a miracle.", I said and remembered the young woman who´d refused to leave without any answers. Grace nodded. „We were afraid to pull her out of the link unit, though the room was full of scientists we were thunderstrucked and didn´t know what to do." She took a hasty pull on her cigarette as if the memories pushed her into a hysterical outburst.

I felt tso tired, I didn´t even try to hold it back and had a good yawn, stretching my arms over my head. I wanted to know what happened, I really wanted, just as much as Grace or Max. But I knew that sitting here all night and debating the fact that my sisters collapse had been a riddle would lead nowhere. So I wheeled over to Anna and shook her slightly. She grumbled and didn´t react but then I shook her a bit more whispering: „Anna, come on, you can sleep when you´re in bed." Her eyes remained closed, her arms hanging down as if they were made of lead.

„Nighty night...", she mumbled and followed me out of the room. Anna didn´t bother to open her eyes so I held her hand, leading her along the hallways. I even opened he door for her and helped her up into the second floor of our bed.

Then there was silence for a moment until she turned around to face me and mumbled: „Jake, have you seen my pajamas?" I looked around and but couldn´t find it. Then I crouched down and took a peek under the bed and there it was, a bundle in the corner. She´d wanted to throw it onto my matress this morning, leaving in hurry, but unluckily it landed under my bed so I had a hard time to grab it for her.

While I labored, Anna started getting out of her clothes and threw them down from her bed. Her socks, her t-shirt, when I leaned back in my wheelchair she dropped her jeans onto my head. I threw it into the corner and handed her the pajamas when she reached her hand down from the second floor. She patted my head and murmured „Night, Jake.", then she grabbed the pajamas turned around under sheets and fell asleep.

I sighed, pulled myself out of the wheelchair and tried to get out of my clothes too but it was a hard task without being able to move my legs. Then I turned off the light, anew frustrated. I´d learned to move without my legs, it had been necessary to help my family. The years after my mothers death had been difficult for the three of us and I had no time to be depressed because of my disability.

I stared into the darkness. A lot of things had happened today, by a close shave I´d lost my sister and couldn´t have done anything against it.

You can´t even carry her into bed when she´s too tired to walk., I thought and it hurted. I turned over to face the wall and closed my eyes, trying to sleep. Tomorrow I would meet up with Quaritch again, I got some new informations and he needed to know. I hated guys like him, I´ve never been into being used for dirty business but Quaritch was mighty. He could give me healthy legs and that would open new possibilities. Back on earth, I would be able to create a new life for Anna, I would be able to work again so Anna could go to college and study. Everything would be alright.

* * *

Annas POV

I spent the following three days like a prisoner in her cell, completely shielded from the world. Jake ordered me to stay in bed and though I was often tempted to refuse, the strange expression of anxious worry nipped my resistance in the mud. So I stayed in bed and spent three days with reading and music. Surprisingly my body was totally exhausted, I felt literally burned out.

So being touched by a goddess was not only exhausting for your mind but rather for your body.

I lay in Jakes bed, so I wasn´t forced to climb down the bedframe when somebody knocked onto the door. After my „collapse" Jake acted like a helicopter mom. Controlling my food and everybody who got near our door. He´d ordered me to lock the door and opened it only if Norm, Grace or Max visited to look after me. Before I was allowed to open I should ask for the password, so did I when it knocked again. I sighed, lay my book down and lifted myself from the matress. My knees were still shaky, so I literally stumbled over to the door until I was able to steady myself on the wall.

„Password?", I asked and grinned when a male voice answered in Navi: „Tsu`tey´s an idiot." Jaske and the others had decided that a password in Navi would be more reliable and then my dear older brother chose the famous sentence.

Tsu`tey´s an idiot..., I thought and unlocked the door while smiling to myself. I couldn`t disagree with Jake, Tsu`tey really was an idiot but not a bad person, he showed it to me when Eywa had visited me. Norm sneaked inside and closed the door hastily. „Lock it!", he gasped and I´d just turned the key in the keyhole when somebody tried to open the door from outside.

I frowned and looked over my shoulder where a breathless Norm sank onto one of our two chairs. „What is going on out there?", I asked and pointed at the door.

Norm made a scornful face, something I´d never seen before. „Most of our scientists can´t wait to pelt you with their questions, luckily Jake told you to lock the door. Otherwhise you would be compelled to move into the bathroom.", he said and smirked, handing me my lunch. I sat down across from him and stared down onto the meal: rice with indian curry. Norm seemed to feel my disconcertment and smiled comfortingly.

„Don´t worry, they´ll stop haunting you in a few days. As longs as neither Grace or Max give them any informations the fire won´t rise again." I picked at my food listlessly and wondered why everybody was so interested in my little „collapse". Nobody knew what really happened, only Mo`at and Tsu`tey so I was a bit scared of all the others acting that persistent. And I was worried.

I´d been so deep in thoughts that I cringed when I noticed Norm staring at me intensely. Hastily I shoved a share of rise into my mouth and asked: „What?" Norm made a serious face, watching me stuffing myself with the rise though I didn´t taste anything. Something about his expression made me think: He knows everything! But at the same moment I called myself a dumbass and tried to persuade myself that he couldn´t know anything.

„I know that Jake threatened with beating me up until I´m a bloody mess, if I´d tell you what happened. But you have a right to know why all those people want to talk to you so badly.", he said and I promptly choked on a piece of chicken.

I stared at him, frowning. „Sounds like a secret plot.", I tried to joke but Norm remained serious.

„Indeed it is, they keep some significant facts from you. Max gave you a sedative to calm you, yeah, but also to keep you from hearing his next words."

The longer hetalked the more I got irritated. „What did he say?", I asked and examined his face. Norm leaned a bit in my direction and his eyes locked on mine. „They didn´t want you to know that your pulse and brainwaves stopped for nearly five minutes.", he revealed to me. „You were dead."

I sank back against the chairback and stared at him. I was so thunderstrucked, I wasn´t able to think anymore. All I felt was a rising panic inside of me and I started scratching my neck involuntarily. My pulse quickened and my fingernails burried deeper into my flesh until I felt a small trail of blood dripping down my skin. Then I tried to stand up, stumbled over to the fridge and opened it. Three bottles stared back at me, water, aplle juice and...whiskey. Following an impulse I grabbed the whiskey and filled my glass halfway through, filling the other half with water. The I gulped it down in one sip, filling the glass again and this time I didn´t even bother to add some water.

I´d nearly forgotten about Norm, when his voice ripped my hyterical outburst. „You...didn´t have a collapse, did you?"

His words seemed like icy water being splashed all over me. He knows it...why does he know it...?, I thought and paniced definitely. Norm didn´t even expect an answer, luckily, I guess I would´ve failed to say a word. Thousends of thoughts swirled around in my mind and they were too fast to grab any of them.

Eywas touch had expressed in erasing my life, in erasing my breath so she was able to speak through my lips. That moment I finally understood that she was not only a goddess, she was always present, with every breath I took, with every word I spoke,...since she´d touched me, I was a part of her and she was a pert of me. She touched me and her touch held such a might that she took my life away from me. Though my mind was filled with the rage of a hurricane, I heard my mouth shape the words: „But I´d never expected that I..."

I broke in the middle of the sentence because I didn´t know what I´d thought.

I was completely speechless.

Something touched my shoulder and ripped me out of my catatonic state, ending the hurricane in my head abruptly.

„You didn´t have a collapse, did you?" I needed to blink to recognize Norm right infront of me and that he´d asked me same question as a minute ago. I stared back at him and shook my head, not aware of what was going on. I nodded again turning my attention over to my hands, then I noticed the shattered glass on the floor.

„Shit...", I mumbled and grouched down to collect the pieces of glass, but Norm grabbed my arm, pushing me carefully over to the bed. „Sit down, I´ll take care of the glass.", he said and like a sleepwalker I followed his orders, placed myself onto the sheets and watched him as he threw the glass into the bin. „I dropped it, didn´t I?" Norm nodded and turned over to me.

„You started shaking and the glass fell to the floor. But you didn´t notice it. Actually you didn´t even notice me when I stepped next to you." He looked over to the point where I´d stood a second ago. „You stared at the wall and...I don´t know." He shrugged his shoulders helplessly and came over to me.

„I didn´t have a breakdown.", I whispered and Norm nodded, sitting down next to me. „I know."

„How?", I asked and he shrugged his shoulders again. „I...I was one of the first who saw the amplitudes on your monitors. A second long I believed something happened to you but then I knew that it was impossible. Tsu`tey would never let anything happen to you, no matter how cruel he is." He blushed a bit before he kept on talking. „You may laugh about me, but I really believe in Eywa, I mean, not the way as Grace does, to her she´s real but nothing except a whim of nature. To me, Eywa is a real presence. Sometimes when we´re out in the forest I think I can feel her, it´s only a weak feeling but I really believe she´s there!"

„And when the appliances notified I was dead, you thought..." He looked at me excitedly. „And now I need to know...am I right?"

I hesitated. Mo`at wanted nobody to know about what had happened. But after all...I didn´t tell him anything, Norm found it out himself.

So I stared back at him as intensely as possible and he understood. „I promised not to say anything.", I whispered and Norm closed his opened mouth. Obviously he´d hoped to get to know more significant informations and luckily he acted as the decent guy he was and didn´t ask anything. Instead of pelting me with questions, he mumbled: „Something is going on."

I stood up, walked into the bathroom and washed my face with icecold water. I needed to clear my head and with leaving the room I played out time to get my expression under control. „What do you mean?", I asked while I toweled my face. He paused for a moment, then he said: „I´m not really sure but the longer we stay, the more I get the feeling that something´s looming subliminally. Something bad."

I´d never thought that Norm was such a perseptive character, intelligent and educated, yeah, but I always thought he was naive. Now he put me right with believing in marvelousness and having a sensetive observation skill. Somehow he noticed that Quaritch planned something against the Omaticaya and all without particular informations.

I leaned against the doorframe and mustered him. Norm stared back, feeling obviously uneasy under my stare. I was pretty sure that he didn´t conceal anything from me, he was such a honest soul that he came here and told me what Jake had planned to keep away from me. I could trust him., I thought and following an impulse, I walked over to him and sat down.

„First you need to understand, that I cannot give you all the infromations I have. I promised not to reaveal anything but now that you found it out yourself, I need you." He was irritated for a second, then he nodded seriously.

„Quaritch plans something against the Omaticaya, I feel it in the air just as much as you do. My „breakdown" never happened, well, not the way a human defines the word „breakdown". I can tell you only, that Mo`at also feels the threat." Norm opened his mouth as if he wanted to ask someething but I lifted my hand to silence him. „I believe you´re an intelligent person with the skill of logical deduction, so if you understand some secret connections without me explaining them never speak out loud.", I said and looked at him with pleading eyes.

„Please." He thpought a second then he nodded and I was tempted to cry in relief that he understood every single hint I gave him.

He´d already understood that Mo`ats knowledge about the approaching danger had to do with my „breakdown".

A deep sigh escaped his lips and he rubbed his forehead. „Looks like we became allies in a complex of secret plots." I nodded. It felt good to have an ally when you´d thought that you fight a losing battle. I´d never thought that he´d play such an important role in my life one day, but obviously Eywa was with me.

A sign that the battle is about to begin., I thought and leaned back, lying down onto the sheets. Norm stared at an indefineable spot on the wall as if he needed time to stomach everything „We cannot trust a single soul.", he said and again I nodded.

„No one. Not even my brother."

* * *

It´s not the longest chapter I´ve written for this ff but I think it´s fine that way. Sorry that I needed a little longer than planned, my boss asked me surprisingly to work another shift. Well, never mind. I hope you enjoyed reading and can´t wait for the next chapter ;) I believe I will be able to update next weekend. Thanks for your support, interest and patience to read my bad grammar ^^ oh and of course a biiig thank you for the reviews!

Love, LR!


	10. Be prepared

Hey evr ^^ I´m back, schools out and soon I´ll start working : ) I don´t have that much time to write but hope you forgive me :D Here I go with the new chapter and I know that most of you want to see some romance! Well, there will be a littlebit romance in this chapter but I decided to keep the reeeeaaaaal romance for later. :D Now please enjoy reading and maybe review ;).

Here I go!

* * *

Annas POV

It was early in the morning and the evening before my brother had insisted on Max checking my health situation before I could continue with my job as Avatar-operator. Luckily everything was alright and thought Jake had been still worried, I didn´t accept his excuses and arguments. Nothing would stop me from going back to hometree. It was time and I felt it.

I cringed when somebody knocked on the door. I was just ready with getting dressed in the bathroom and remained moveless for a moment to stare at the bathroom door. Then I opened it and listened. The person knocked again, obviously as impatient as me but impatient because of other reasons. „Anna, it´s me!", the he called and my petrification faded away. It was Norm.

I sighed in relief and looked into the mirror to put my hair up into a ponytail. „Here I go!", I thought, smiled at myself and noticed my hand was shaking when I reached it out for the door handle. „Calm down!", I ordered but my heart beated only even faster.

„Calm down, there´s nothing to be afraid of!"

Except the fact that I´m part of a secret alliance against my own race.

I gulped my fear down, closed the bathroom door behind me and stepped into our bed-living-room. Obviously Norm had been about to knock again, because he stopped in the middle of the movement and his hand was raised into the air a bit when I unlocked and opened. Of course he smiled. „Ready?", he asked and I felt a shaky smiled spread across my face. I didn´t know what to say which was actually answer enough. But Norm was as joyful and positive as ever and patted my shoulder calmingly.

„There´s nothing to be scared of. I walk you to the Link Unit center and nobody will dare to corner you." Then he closed the door behind me and gave me a soft push forwards. I really needed his energy because my legs felt as if they were made of iron and I was not strong enough to move them.

I was scared and didn´t know why and obviously Norm felt it; his strong hand lay on my back as if he suspected me to turn around and run into my room again. The rest of our scientist collegues seemed to inhabit the hallways as if they had no home. It was so crowded that Norm had a hard time to slash himself a way, but luckily they left me alone. I didn´t know where to look and tried to ignore the annoying glances the other scientists gave me. My t-shirt was too huge and my hair a ruffled mess and I knew they still babbled about my mysterious break-down, examining me like an experiment. But Norm walked next to me and a few doors further, Jake turned the corner and consorted with us.

My brother looked good, his face was a bit pale and he´d lost some weight, but he seemed awake and happy to see me upright. He gave me a calming wink but I saw the worry in his eyes when he came closer; Jake looked around and glared at our comrades as if they were the enemies and his secret tension disturbed me. Norm patted my shoulder again and I took a deep breath, forcing my legs to move towards the Link Units center. Obviously all this was planned: Norm picked me up and Jake followed us like a shadow to the laboratory.

And really: nobody dared to talk to me, in the end I wouldn´t have known how to react. I send them a nervous glance, it was strangely horrible and boring to be the center of attention. And then, finally, finally, we reached the Link Unit center.

Grace had planted herself in the doorway and grabbed me hastily as if she feared that someone would take me away from her. I let my catched breath escape, followed her submissively over to her desk and sank down onto a chair while Norm and Jake closed the doors to give me more privacy. I felt as if I´d just come through runnig the gauntlet. „Can I have a cup of coffee, please?", I panted and let my arms and legs go limp and Max handed me my coffee before I could´ve said „amen". He mustered me with this silent sympathie I´d often seen in his eyes before. He was not only the scientist but also the good friend who was worried.

The coffee was hot and black, I never drank it with milk or sugar, somehing nobody expected of me. I was a girl and every girl loved sweet café au lait. Every girl but me. My brother and Norm, Grace and Max, came over to me and sat down, surrounding me like a bunch of aggressive wolfs sheltering their prey from larcenous rivals. Jake mustered me from head to toe while I gulped my coffee down with one sip, then I put the cup onto the desk next to me. I felt save and relaxed for a moment, then I remembered why I needed to go.

I couldn´t stay here, suddenly an unknown unrest filled me.

„I guess I have no time to spare.", I thought and blinked in surprise when I noticed I´d said it out loud. Jake smiled and ruffled my hair. „You really are a working man.", he said and chuckled, then I lifted myself from the chair with a smile. The sooner I got back to hometree, the sooner we could do something against Quaritch who planned, and I was finally sure of that, to destroy the hometree. Mo`at would want to talk to me and I would ask Tsu`tey to take me back as student. The nervous shaking returned and made my hands shiver and shake. Was it because of Tsu`tey? My stomach answered my question with an excited jump. A treachery blush covered my face on my way over to the Link Unit.

I patted the cap as if I greeted an old good friend and hoped that the others hadn´t seen my flushed face. I lay down in the Link Unit and stared at the roof.

Tsu`tey.

After Eywa had touched me he´d been so nice and caring...would he be as cold and heartless as before? Would he be mad at me for staying away for so long? I bit my lips and a second later I shook my head unbelievingly. „Hey, what´s wrong with me? Why do I care so much about Tsu`teys opinion? He´s nothing but my teacher!" I was way too busy with my thinking session to notice Grace stepping infront of my Link Unit. „One second, young lady. You´re sure you´re able to do this? Nobody will reproach if you´ll stay here for another day. Not even Tsu`tey.", she said, still staring down at me. I needed a second to understand what she said, then an annoyed moan escapted my mouth.

„Holy shit, Grac! I told you that I´m alright, okay? Max gave me a professional check and I´m ready." I frowned luckily she didn´t try object. But of course it wasn´t over yet. Jake stopped his wheelchair next to her and helped me clapping the net mesh over my trunk.

„No matter if you´re in the middle of a fight training or a teatime with Mo`at: if something happens, you´ll come back. Do you udnerstand me?" I rolled my eyes and patted his head but he was not in the mood for jokes and grabbed it pretty hard. „This is not funny.", he said and frowned before he let go of my hand. He nearly bruised it. I frowned back and said: „I know, Jake. Patting your head was also not a joke."

Then I stared up at the roof again before I closed my eyes. Grace closed the cap and I was surrounded by darkness.

* * *

A dry cough escaped my lungs when I opened my eyes. I felt as if my throat was full of dust and tiny stones, it hurted like hell. „My...god...", I whispered because I was not able to speak louder. I sat up in my hammock and my body shook, overhelmed by a cough attack. Someone grabbed my searching hand, helped me standing up and my stomach looped a looping again when I looked up in my saviors face: Tsu`tey. „You´re late.", he said and slapped me softly onto the back to make the coughing stop. I was too confused to answer.

Why was he here? Did he spend his days with staring down at my Avatar, in case that I would come back? My swirling thoughts got cut off by another cough.

„What´s wrong...with me? I...cannot breath...", I gasped between two hectical, flat breaths while his hand still lay on my back. The touch made my heart beat faster. „It´s because your body lay moveless for three days. You need to move.", he said, took my arms and shook them as if this would help. I couldn´t help but stare at him while the procedure. What was going on in his head? I really wanted to know. But obviously, and though he was used to people staring at him, he found something strange in my staring.

„What´s wrong?", he asked harshly but I looked down, feeling insecure under his hard look. „Nothing.", I wanted to whisper but it disappeared in another cough attack. Damn it!

„Come, woman! Tsahìk will be able to help you." He put his bow onto his back, sneaked his arm around me and helped me walking up the homtree while I was still coughing, not able to yell at him for starting this „woman"-thing again. Tears blurred my eyes but still I could see the door to Mo`ats chambers when we entered. I felt Tsu`teys chest rise when he breathed in to speak, but obviously Mo`at had been waiting for us. She sat at the fire, watching a leather bowl hanging over the flames, which was filled with a purple liquor. Tsu`tey fell silent and just helped me sitting down across from Tsahìk.

„I see...", but my greeting was interrupted by another cough. „I also see you, my daughter.", Mo`at greeted with her full voice and without looking at me. „But maybe I should call you sister. You´re no longer an ordinary dreamwalker."

She grabbed a ladle which hung from the wall behind her and scooped some of the purple stuff into the bowl she handed me a second later. „Drink that, my sister. Drink it and you will feel better." Nearly blinded by the tears I grabbed the wooden object and gulped.

The liquor tasted like berries and pepper and was so strong that it literally burned my throat. I was tempted to spit it out but it would be awfully rude. Fighting another cough down, I gulped my first sip and released a surprised gasp when the dusty feeling in my throat vanished. Mo`at nodded approvingly. „I´m glad to see you upright and strong as before. Even stronger. It´s always a good thing to find an ally in this time of darkness." I looked at her surprised and cleared my throat, the I put the bowl onto the floor next to me.

„How is it that you always seem to know everything about me?", I asked and felt the blood pooling in my cheeks. Mo`at smiled. „You are a touched, just like me. We´re connected through Eywa forever. It´s natural that I get to know you better than everybody else. A lot of your feelings are no secret to me so I felt your relieve when you found your precious ally." Her eyes narrowed a bit and she stared at me while her hands still moved the ladle around in the liquor. „It´s a man.", she whispered and the heat in my face only doubled. „A young man, strong character. He´s very partial to you, a loyal friend and I believe that Eywa chose him as your protector. She knows him pretty good because he can feel her better than normal dreamwalkers."

She smiled but a small sound behind me made me cringe. Unluckily I knocked the half-full bowl next to me down and the purple liquor swamped the wooden floor. I´d totally forgotten about Tsu`tey being in the same room as me and Mo`at though he stood only one step behind me. „Oh...I´m sorry!", I stuttered and wiped up the wasted drink with the cloth Mo`at handed me silently. I didn´t dare to look up at Mo`at who was staring at Tsu`tey, neither did I dare to peek at Teu`teys face. There was no doubt that he´d been the origin of the noise: a reluctant, haughtily snort.

„My dear headwarrior, something displeases you?", Mo`at asked and I could literally feel Tsu`teys awkwarness in the air. I took a deep breath, then I turned around. I could see this strange insecure on his face momentarily, then he looked angry and stepped next to me. „Tsahìk, we cannot entrust the touched to a dreamwalkers care, he´s not worth and not strong enough to be her protector. We need to keep her away from her species so nobody gets the chance to abduct or convey her out of the way. Our enemies will soon notice that somebody´s working against them." I couldn´t help but stare up at him, not sure of what to do. All I felt was confusion. I send Mo`at a helpless look but the Tsahìk only smiled knowingly and somehow I got the feeling that her smile should make me blush. „Ma Tsu`tey, you seem very thrilled by fact that Anna´s bound to that man who´s chosen to be her guard. But what is your opinion? Who should be her keeper then?"

I sat there, not able to move and stared at the elder woman infront of me. Tsu`tey still stood next to me and I heard him gulp.

„Me, Tsahìk. I´ll be the guardian and her teacher."

My head shot up and my heart literally jumped out of my chest when Tsu`tey stared back and sent me a look full of emotions I could not name. But his eyes were filled with such an intensity that I was speechless. „Then you expressed your wish to go on with your education as warrior, Anna." It was a statement, not a question, as if she´d exptected me to do this.

I forced my eyes away from Tsu`teys face, though he still stared at me from above, and nodded in Mo`ats direction. „I did, because I believe that I´ll be a greater convenience if I´m able to fight and stand up for myself." I looked to the floor and fought with me for a second, but something deep inside of me told me that it was right to mention: „And there could be no better teacher than Tsu`tey." Then there was silence for a minute. Nobody moved nobody spoke a word, it became already scary when Mo`at finally said: „Well, then you´re dismissed for today. It was really important for me to know that otherwhise you would have learned only the art of healing. Now you´ll learn both. Ma Tsu`tey, I hope you and your student will prove proceedings." And with that she nodded and the conversation was finished. I felt Tsu`tey lay his hand onto my shoulder and so I stood up mechanically. I was still too confused. Tsu`teys strange behaviour irritated me and Mo`ats trust made me nearly despair. What did I get myself into!, I thought and followed Tsu`tey out of the Tsahìks chambers. She believes in my skills as if I´m the greatest warrior ever. As if I´m the Messiah! The curtains closed behind us ans Tsu`tey stopped. I stared into space until an impatient snort made me look up and right into the headwarriors eyes.

He stared at me and again his eyes were filled with a thousand nameless emotions. His hand still rested on my shoulder and his touch burned my skin. His face was so close to mine that it made me break out in sweat and the smile which made his face shine warmed me from deep inside.

„You made the right decision.", he whispered and squeezed my now shivering shoulder. Luckily he didn´t seem to notice. „Thank you."

* * *

The following weeks gave me the possibility to regret my decision. Though Tsu`tey was changed, the training was hard maybe too hard for my untrained body and sometimes it made me feels as if he planned to kill me. He watched me run and jump over obstacles, made me shoot with bow and arrows all day, gave me endless riding lessons and taught me track-reading and hunting until my arms and legs hurted like hell and my head buzzed from all the new impressions. The new Tsu`tey was rather friendly and more polite, he didn´t yell at me anymore and somehow he gave me the feeling of being equal.

Oh, he was so evil! At the beginning I was a disaster, stumbled over my feet, fell from the horse and literally passed out now and then. But Tsu`tey remained strict. „Eywa chose a heavy burden for you, a difficult quest and you cannot survive without being prepared." He smiled a bit and squeezed my shoulder, a gesture I got used to wheneve I lost my courage to go on. „Be prepared.", that became our slogan. And the longer he tortured me, the more I felt my body gain strenght. The longer I ran and the harder I fell I noticed my body was coming alive and soon I could pass Tsu`teys training without problems. I even caught myself doing the fighting moves while I showered, listen to the silence of our room as if I searched for prey and murmur: „Be prepared!", while I stood infront of the mirror and brushed my hair. And then I would feel Jakes eyes in my back. He was still worried but obviously Mo`at had requested Neytiri to keep Jake away from me so he wouldn´t interrup my training. Sometimes when we went to bed he send me a strange look as if he wondered who was the woman infront of him. I had changed, I knew it.

My bodys strenght gave me a never known confidence and suddenly Quaritch didn´t seem that dangerous and scary anymore. Sometimes he passed me by in the hallways, send me a nasty grin or ignored me. I always answered the grin with straightening myself and an icy glance, whenever he pretended to ignore me I did the same. Sometimes I caught him mustering me when I entered the cafeteria and sat down with my brother but he never dared to talk to me. Jake took care of that. He didn´t want Quaritch around me, was it because he feared that Quaritch would blow their plan in male arrogance or that he really thought Quaritch would do something to me. I didn´t know but thought I knew my brother worked secretly together with tha horrible man, I still loved him. And felt bad for having a secret.

But the weeks of training passed without any arguments or conflicts, Jake and I still lived in the same room and talked as always. But our daily routine diverged more and more from each other and some days I didn´t see him at all.

„Your brother is suspicious enough. He shall not see that you´re working twice as much as him and learn with Tsahìk.", Tsu`tey answered when I asked him about it. We sat on the grassy ground of the forest working on my Navi. That was the only lesson I mastered with ease and Tsu`tey was really satisfied with my proceedings. After a few lessons we could have whole conversations in Navi and whenever I spoke that language I listened very carefully to my voice. It sounded good. A few days ago I´d started my spiritual training with Mo`at and whenever my warrior-training ended, Tsu`tey would send me up the Hometree to Mo`ats chambers. And the spiritual side was way more exhausting than the warrior training: Mo`at made me sit with her around the fire and sing in a language I´d never heard before but still I knew the words and spoke them in the right way. She taught me cooking herb juices, take care of ills and how to connect with Eywa. Everyday I felt closer to the great spirit and though I was scared at the beginnig whenever she took control over my body and mind and flooded it with pictures, I learned how to trust her. Mo`at was very kind, waited patiently whenever I didn´t understand or could not apply a lesson.

But that day Tsu`tey put me off. „Tsahìk does not await you today.", was all he said, turned around and indicated to me to follow him. I was a bit surprised and

Hesitated for a second. „Where are we going?", I asked but Tsu`tey did not answer, he didn´t even turn around. I sighed, grabbed my bow and followed him. Tsu`tey was still the same thought he acted different towards me, he did not answer questions, he did not discuss, he never disclosed his feelings and thoughts so I never knew what he really thought about my training success. Sometimes I could read his feelings in his eyes but most of the time Tsu`tey avoided eye and physical contact. Strangely my not particularly talkative teacher led me out of the forest into the Hometrees direction. I was tempted to pelt him with questions again, when Tsu`tey held a huge leaf up for me so I was able to step out onto the meadow. „Tus`tey, where are we going?", I asked puzzled and stopped in the middle of my movements. A group of young Navi had converged on the green grass, all of them armed as warriors. Tsu`tey passed me by, grinning complacently. „Today, you´re going to tame your Ikran.", he answered and I felt me jaw drop.

He walked over to the youths and thought I felt like standing there and hyperventilate, I stormed after him and grabbed his arm so he was forced to stop. Something about my face seemed to amuse him because he grinned when I stepped closer to him. „Tsu`tey, are you out of your mind? What a silly idea! I´m not even able to control a horse so how can I fly an Ikran?" Tsu`tey started chuckling and started walking again with me clinging to his arm. It was nothing for him to ignore my weight on his arm and I felt pretty stupid especially when the Navi youths noticed us and started whispering and laughing. „You´re as good as any of them and especially for you it´s important to have an Ikran, Anna." He tried to free his arm from my hands but I held only stronger on to him. The closer we got to the group, the harder I tried to stop him.

„Tsu`tey, I don´t consider that a good idea. I know myself and no matter how strong or weak this Ikran is he will tear me to peaces." Hopeless.

Tsu`tey didn´t even listen anymore so I let go of his arm and kept my distance towards the other youths. They mustered me for a second, then they turned their attention over to Tsu`tey who stepped in the middle of their group and talked to them. Though his voice was loud, I couldn´t understand anything and finally gave up and came closer. Luckily nobody payed attention to my single person but when I reached them, Tsu`tey just said: „May Eywa be with you!", send me a grin and followed his students over to the horses. Damn it!, I though when I whistled for Sarléz and mustered the other youths around me. Some of them, especially the boys, boasted, some girls were close to tears or didn´t say anything. The friendly whickering stallion trotted over to me, nudged my forehead with his soft mouth and let me climb onto his back. Sarléz had become my closest friend and was always happy to see me. He was my horse and since I´ve been his only rider since a few weeks, he didn´t tolerate someone else on his back anymore. I watched the other youths tame their horses and looked over at Tsu`tey who sat on his mare Zué and waited until all of us were ready. Then the horses began to move and I prayed to Eywa. I would need her succor.

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^^ Yeah, a cliffhanger! I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing. Forgive me that it took so long! Hope you still review, I´m always open to honest criticism.

Love, LR!


	11. Appreciated

Hello everybody! ^^ I know, some of you feel the urge to lynch me for taking so long, but my studies started in october and I was so busy with moving into my own apartment (yesss! .) university stuff and all the new people so I just couldn't write. Forgive meee! ^^ Well here I go: enjoy reading and maybe leave some criticism!

You guys are awesome! ^^

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Jake´s POV

The arrow side-slipped from the bow and hit my left arm like a blade. The force made my skin burst open and some blood sprayed from the wound. My breath hissed through my lips as I felt the pain. Like an explosion it pulsed through my arm. I let the bow fall to the floor and pressed my hand onto the wound.

"Shit!"

"Jake, are you alright?" Neytiri, who took a backseat the whole time, appeared next to me, grabbing my hand roughly. I felt like moaning from the pain but I knew she would give me that special look, that look full of sneer and sarcastic pity. I was an idiot in her eyes and I was not interested in deepening that impression. Her blue fingers shooed my right hand away from the wound so she could look at it. "I taught you to breath in before you shoot. It prevents unnecessary movements before you pounce and is requirement for successful hunting. If you go hunting with the other man you will be the laughingstock of the squad." I bit my lips. Neytiris words had been a soft whisper but all her authority and secret impatience echoed in her voice.

She took something fom her pocket that looked like dried plant fibers and wrapped them around my bloodstained cut which reached from my wrist up to my elbow. It gave a ripping sound when Neytiri tied the two ends together and I gritted my teeth in pain. "Done."

She took a step back, looking down on her achievement. "Well, thank you.", I said, a bit ashamed but she wordlessly pushed the bow back into my hands and I knew she wanted to see more.

I sighed, but I knew I wouldn't get around it. So I put the arrow back on the bow and tried to target my senses onto the full-size puppet of a Hexapede.

This time the arrow slipped of the bow smoothly, unluckily I missed horse puppet. I heard Neytiri sigh behind me and let the bow sink. "Fucking shit!" I turned around and walked a few steps away from my surprised teacher and my target. "Where do you think you´re going?", she called after me and when I didn't react: "Jake!"

I was not in the mood to explain myself to her, actually I wanted to go home, lie down in my bed and sleep. So I didn't have to watch myself fail over and over again. No matter how often I would try the bow, it would not work. I had been a marine, used to heavy lethal weapons. My marine body was useless with graceful bows; this needed something my brain was not able to understand and I would never learn.

Deep inside me, I knew I may never understand Pandora. The time here worked differently from home, the light, the air. And I was only a human, in an Omaticaya´s body but still a human. I threw the bow to the floor and let myself fall onto my butt, rubbing my face with my hands. To cap it all, Quaritch had ordered me the night before to double my efforts. He was not satisfied with my results thought I´d delivered a damn important scan from the hometree's anatomy; and slowly the pressure showed effect. I was tired, my head hurt.

I'd never expected this to be so hard., I thought and my mind wandered to my sister. The few weeks we'd spend on Pandora yet, turned out to cause the most horrible thing I could have imagined: We moved away from each other, pulled away liked two poles who repelled from each other. She was up to train with Tsu'tey and imagining him thrilling my younger sister, scared me. That guy...what is he doing to her?, I wondered and visualized the chance she got through in the last weeks. Whenever we got home from our daily training, Anna seemed far away and displaced. Sometimes I caught her whispering to herself and thought I understood something like: "Be prepared!" The night before I touched her shoulder when she sat at our table and read a book Grace had given to her. My sister never used to react that abruptly to physical contact. The muscles of her shoulder tensed under my hand, her whole body shot up into the air and she jumped onto the chair like a wildcat. It only needed a hiss.

My younger sister. I got used to mustering her body, I´m confessing, but out of other reasons the other men did. And they did it a lot. She moved differently. Her Avatar was more buff than before, the training had turned her into a muscular, efficient warrior.

"Jake!" A cool hand touched my shoulder and I looked up, very confused; for a second I´d forgotten everything around me. "Jake, what´s wrong?", Neytiri asked before I could slip back into my thoughts. And I was massively embarrassed that I couldn't give her an answer immediately.

"It´s about the training?"

"No..."

"Your sister?"

Her big eyes mustered me knowingly. Obviously she looked right through me; like an open book. I smiled bitterly. "What is it, Jake? Do you want to tell me?", she asked and sat down right next to me. For that moment she was less authoritative than before and that gave her face a whole new look. It looked brighter than before and softer and for a moment I needed to remember her question. I looked down to the ground, stared at the green grass, lifted my eyes back to her until my attention was caught by something else behind her:

A big crowd of young Omaticayas had gathered over there. A dominant atmosphere of fear and cockiness was in the air as if a big event approached. I heard them whistle for horses and suddenly one of them, he was taller and with broader shoulders than the other boys around him, swung himself onto a horse as if it had been there the whole time. Then I recognized him: Tsu'tey.

Neytiri, confused by my intense stare, turned around to search for my object of interest. Then she noticed the crowd and Tsu`tey too and again that knowing look appeared in her eyes.

"I lose my sister."

Neytiri nodded understandingly. I sighed. "She´s so young and...somehow we grow apart. I don´t know her anymore."

"You both run different paths, Jake.", Neytiri simply said and put a hand onto my shoulder. It sounded so naturally, I was speechless. She noticed my clasped hands and shooed them apart.

"But why?" My voice was like a child's pouting. "Well, you already chose your path and Anna´s still searching for her own. You remember the first night you came to the home tree? The night we found your sister and you in the woods?" I nodded.

„Do you remember my mothers words?"

I tried to remember, but this night was only a colorful gleam in my memory. So I shook my head.

Neytiri sighed and stroke a strand of hair behind my ear and my heartbeat sped up.

"My mother said: It is hard to fill a cup which is already full, Jake. Your cup is already filled but Anna´s cup is still empty."

"You mean she´s just filling her cup?" I looked at her hopelessly, but Neytiri only nodded.

"It´s something everybody goes through at some point in his life. Anna is a person between the child and the adult. That´s only the circle of life, something you cannot hold back, as well as you cannot keep the sun from setting."

I looked at her and she smiled softly; I noticed her hand still rested against my cheek. "You´re a good brother, _maJake_. But everything´s subjected to Eywa and obviously it´s her will that Anna becomes what she´s up to." Could a touch like hers really turn the world upside down in mind-blowing happiness? That moment I experienced that it could. But then, as if she suddenly noticed her action, Neytiri let her hand sink; her large eyes sparkled treacherously and a bit embarrassed.

„One more time."

She stood up and walked back to the training target. That rough, literally painful mood alteration made me stagger for a second, then I lifted myself up and followed her. „One more time, Jake.", she said again and handed me the bow and the arrows. Listlessly, I put the arrow once again on the bow, breathed in like Neytiri had taught me and let the arrow slip. The feathered wood hit the training target in the flank. I grinned.

"How was that?", I asked and turned around to Neytiri. Her ears wiggled and she said: "Well, in that case your prey would run and you would have to run after it."

I gave her my most persuasive grin and she grinned back.

"A good hunter creeps up on his prey silently. If you do it right, there´s no need to run. Try again."

I cursed, pulling another arrow from my quiver.

Anna´s POV

I held onto Sarléz tentacles for dear life, frozen in fear. The stallion was friendly enough to follow Tsu'teys horse by himself so I was free to let my thoughts wander. Visions of Jake, Tommy and my old home mixed up into a kaleidoscope of visual impressions and made my head ache. That was all I needed! I rubbed my forehead mechanically and allowed my eyes for the first time to lose their grip off the horse neck. For the first time I noticed the region had changed. Our group moved uphill, on the right side, a few steps away from me, the rocky ground ended and fled in a steep slope into a valley, the valley we started our journey from; it looked like a soundless sea of mist, the world below the dust remained invisible. Tsu`tey turned around on his horseback and grinned at me when he saw my idiotic, in overpowering opened mouth.

"It´s...so fantastic! Why didn´t you bring me up here earlier before?", I said and let my eyes wander over the beautiful view again. Tsu`tey gave me a shrug. "There was no reason for you to come up here.", he said and then his mouth curled up into an, oh so rare smile of him. "And besides, what would life be like if you´d get to know everything at the beginning?" I stared at him with wide eyes. Speaking such worldly pieces of wisdom was so not Tsu`tey.

"I hope you´re not mocking me, because I´m not in condition to shine with repartee."

Tsu`tey frowned and turned around so I was facing his back again. Obviously that had been to much humor for him. I sighed and looked down at Sarléz` neck, patting it. He snorted softly.

Our fellowship followed the rocky path for another hour, well, it felt like an hour, before Tsu`tey stopped Zué and lifted his hand into the air, making everyone stop. And this time, the view blew my mind. The mountain we traveled on ended in front of us, opening to a bottomless valley. Thick roots and vines had clawed into the rough ground, spreading their smaller branches over the floor like countless fingers. But instead of hanging down as gravity usually demanded, the roots reached up into the air, having the other ends holding onto floating – mountains.

The Hallelujah Mountains.

How could I forgot about them? A few weeks ago, Norm had literally swooned over their majestic view. I´d asked how something like that could be possible and I remembered his answer: „It´s because of the Flux Vortex, a physical abnormality without scientific explanation. It´s very strong at the Halelujah Mountains and the Tree of Souls. The Omaticaya believe it´s Eywa's doing, that her presence is very strong at those places and Grace is literally obsessed with the idea of proving her existence in an experimental way."

While I was staring and reminiscing, the other young Na'vi jumped off their horses just as Tsu`tey did. He patted Zués neck and stepped closer to the edge.

"Hey, where are we going?", I called out for him and also slid down from Sarléz back.

"To where the Ikrans live, Anna.", Tsu`tey called back and waved us closer.

"You mean...?", I began and let my eyes follow the vines up to the mountains. He just nodded, a businesslike expression on his face, then he called something and the other Na`vi followed him when he clung to the vine and started climbing up the string of rock. My heart leaped into my throat and I was tempted to stay where I was, just like a bunch of the teenagers who broke down in tears or just sat down and shook in fear, so the group of contenders of the hunters fellowship shrinked. Though I was close to hyperventilate, I pushed myself towards the vines. Tsu`tey had already reached the first bigger rock and looked down at the following passel which had to look like a bunch of ants.

"Anna, what´s wrong?", he called and I had a hard time to understand him through that distance. "I´m afraid of heights.", I yelled back, hoping he would understand me while I started climbing. "It´s called vertigo."

It was a horrible feeling to lose the ground under my feet and hang in the air with nothing beneath to catch me if I´d lose my grip. „I've never heard of that illness.", Tsu`tey answered while reaching his hand out to me, pulling me to my feet when I finally reached the rock he stood on, then he turned around and left so he would not block the traffic. Of course not, I thought to myself. Suffering from vertigo would mean to stay at home for the rest of your life and spend your time as berry-picking hometender.

And the scales fell from my eyes, so I nearly lost my grip on the vine I clung to and a scared hiss behind me brought me back to reality. Now everything made sense: Tsu`tey had never expected that every single person of the bunch would reach the Ikrans; climbing up the Hallelujah Mountains, even being brave enough to try it, was a test. And giving up before it even started or in the middle of the test would end their paths as hunters.

I have only one chance., I thought and it send a shiver down my spine. My hands shook in fear and I felt like throwing up, but I made sure not to look down and locked my eyes on the vines I held onto.

Tsu`tey had finally reached the biggest and the last rock of the string and waited for the rest. I gave him an angry look. Of course he didn't tell me anything, he preferred to throw me in at the deep end, as always.

"Idiot!", I mumbled. But he didn't notice my bitter curse and yelled at two boys who leaned a bit to far over the edge of the rock, so it began to tip in their direction; immediately they stepped back, giving Tsu`tey a scared look. Usually I would've smiled about it, but my lips felt heavy as steel beams and I focused all my attention so I wouldn't just sit down on that floating rock and refuse to move. A few of the young Na`vi obviously suffered from the same sickness and gave in. Tsu`tey nodded and said: „Everybody who´s to weak to climb back, stays here and wait. We talk later." With that he turned around and I needed to muffle my scream with my hand, when he jumped from the rock into the emptiness – and grabbed a root that hang down from the floating mountain above our heads. My heart raced as if it would explode every second; but I had no time for a break down. The fact, that I needed to do the same slowly seeped into my brain and out of a despaired impulse, I took a run-up and jumped. I felt like a complete idiot though I was still alive, as I luckily got hold of another root and started to climb. My arms became increasingly heavier and I´d never been more thankful to Tsu`tey for thrilling me with toning exercises. Otherwise I would've let go within the next three seconds and...

I forced myself to concentrate on every single movement, my breath, my heartbeat.

_You shall not fear._

I listened deeper inside of me. A few weeks ago I would've been scared if an unknown voice would speak to me inside of my head; I was surprised, that Eywas voice sounded so clear though most of the time I needed to practice meditation to understand her words. But I was at Flux Vortex, something I´d never experienced before and obviously the Omaticaya were right: it was Eywas doing. I need to ask Mo`at about that., I thought, then I reached the mountain and crawled on all fours.

Tsu`tey came over to me and helped me up. Something about me seemed to tell him, I was connected with Eywa; he mustered my face and though she didn't speak to me anymore, I felt her around me, filling me.

Tsu`tey was staring at me and I nodded at him, still caged in that vortex of feelings her presence pushed me into whenever she visited me. "We´re almost there.", he said and gave me a soft pat on my back. Almost there, thank God!

And he didn´t lie. Our group had shriveled to the incredible number of five, my humble self included. I followed our leader over another bundle of thick green roots which were knotted like a bridge over to mainland. The rock opened like a huge cave, let our steps echo from the walls like a whisper. I watched Tsu`tey tighten his quiver when he reached the other gate from where sunlight hit the rocky ground. He turned around, pressing a finger on his lips, then left the hollow. In front of us, a paradise of unique beauty opened itself to our eyes. The three moons of Pandora were in contrast to the bright sky, the sun burned down onto my skin; small waterfalls gouged their way through the rocky ground and fell into the bottomless deepness below the Hallelujah Mountains. Plants in exotic colours covered the stones and – wait! I blinked once, blinked twice.

Did that plant just...move?!, I wondered. And then my jaw dropped: those erroneously as green "plants" titled things moved their huge heads around, opened their wings with shaky movements and inhabited the whole mountain. They gathered in bigger or smaller groups and yelled at each other with their sharp voices. The Ikrans!

My eyes widened and the little confidence I´d felt before, vanished. Tsu´tey mustered the groups of Ikrans, then he turned around and send a concentrated look into the nothingness of the sky. I was not the only one who followed his glance with irritation. But then I heard it too. Wings beat and a yell like a birds yell ripped the air. Then, suddenly, a huge animal fell in front of Tsu`teys feet.

Well, it was not any creature, but a gorgeous cyan Ikran with a violet speckled back and wings.

A leather harness nestled around his trunk and before I´d examined it entirely, someone jumped down from its back. With great surprise I noticed it was Neytiri. She patted her Ikrans neck and came closer with elegant steps. "_MaTsu`_tey.", she greeted him. "_Oel ngati kameie._"

Tsu`tey returned the greeting, then they mustered us. I heard them mumble and whisper with each other and the longer they spoke, the more I got the feeling that I would end as the dinner for the Ikrans.

My teacher looked at me and my knees turned into jelly, but I could not tell if it was because of my fear or the intensity within his glance. "Anna will go first." That information slowly oozed into my mind and the unsteady heaps beyond my trunk which used to be my legs, finally lost any strength.

Neytiri grabbed my arm to keep me from falling to the floor. I shook my head when she pulled me over to the caves bay, whispering to me. "Calm down, Anna. It _is_ dangerous and you have only one chance, but remember what Tsu'tey taught you."

"That I´m a lost cause?"

Neytiri gave me a look full of pity. Obviously, the Omaticayas did not write humor in capital letters. "Don´t act silly, Anna. What did Tsu'tey teach you?"

"Be prepared.", I whispered and tried to keep my stomach under control. Neytiri nodded, pressed a rope into my hand and pushed me forwards. "You are prepared. And Eywa is with you"

And then I couldn't hear anything anymore. Suddenly, the world around me was mute and I closed the fist around the rope. When I stepped into the blazing light, a burning heat spread in my spine. The Ikrans noticed me and their huge, beautiful heads turned in my direction. They screeched – well, I was sure they did though I could not hear them. But I saw their mouths open and close and the anxiety in their eyes. I grabbed the rope even closer and approached the dragon-like creatures. One on my left arose into the air and disappeared and another dozen followed. They literally scattered and a wide gap opened in front of me.

'Don´t come near me!'

'Hide the children, that thing may be dangerous!'

'There they are again, looking for trouble.'

I froze within the movement, turning around who´d spoken. The Omaticayas in my back yelled and gesticulated wildly. Tsu'tey yelled something but I didn't hear a sound. "W-What...?"

And then I noticed it: the Ikrans had stopped to fly, they did not move anymore, they did not screech. They surrounded me in tensed anticipation and stared at me, waiting for my next move. I took a step into their direction and they cringed. Could it be...?, I thought and grabbed the rope even tighter. Could it be that I´d heard their thoughts?, I wondered and stared at the Ikran right in front of me, a bright green creature with flaming red wings. The animal stared back with knowing eyes but I didn't hear anything anymore.

Don´t be scared!, I thought with the childish hope that they would hear me. I don´t want to hurt your children or your clan.

No reaction. My heart sank in my boots when the beautiful dragon opened his mouth and screeched and it reached my ear as a sound of sheer anger. Suddenly the world was alive again, I heard the Ikrans` sound, the wind that blew around me, the Omaticayas that yelled behind me.

And suddenly I knew that this was the moment Tsu'tey had tried to prepare me for. I heard my voice in my head as I´d asked him about the Ikrans a few days before.

"_How will I know that he´s the right one?", I asked, imagined a wild Ikran right in front of me and a shiver ran down my spine. We were at the home tree and visited Tsu'teys Ikran._

"_He will try to kill you.", Tsu'tey answered and patted the banshees neck. Cholun was not a sensational appearance as contrasted with his master, an ordinary greenish Ikran with darker spots. But the way he nudged his nose against Tsu'teys shoulder gave no rise to doubts that he was a loyal fellow. "So Cholun had also tried to kill you?", I asked and patted the Ikrans nose._

_My teacher nodded and mustered the dragon-like creature which chewed on the piece of meat Tsu'tey had offered him. "I was younger than you.", was all he said and pulled on the leather harness around Choluns trunk. "And he chose me."_

_Then Tsu'tey looked back at me. "One day it´s up to you to tame your Ikran. You must do _Tsaheylu, _only then you will be an honored hunter." I nodded and smiled at Cholun who nosed my hair. Yeah, one day it would be up to me, but that day was far far away._

I gritted my teeth, angry with myself and angry with Tsu'tey. He´d said 'one day it´s up to you' not 'this week, we´ll climb up the Hallelujah Mountains and you will tame your Ikran'.

The day we spoke of my last test before becoming a real hunter, he sounded as if he did not trust me to tame an Ikran and here I stood, the rope in my hand, target of angry dragons.

What made him change his mind?, I wondered and finally brought myself into fighting position.

Nobody would help me, that was for sure. I...I must do it!, I thought and concentrated on the Ikran in front of me again.

Obviously, my body-language was enough to let him fall into rage. It bared its teeth and screeched at me, let his wings beat and snapped at something invisible in the air. All the other Ikrans, made bird sounds and fled, but the green-red giant remained aggressive.

That´s him., I thought and approached. As if he´d been waiting for me to come closer, the Ikran attacked and pounced at me to bite my head off. I jumped to the side, rolled through the rocky ground to escape his teeth, but the animal wasn't done yet. It arose in the air just to stoop down at me. Somewhere behind me I heard Tsu'tey yell: "Watch his feet!"

By a close shave the Ikrans claws would've smashed my head like a berry. I gasped and stumbled backwards, the abyss at the back. _Tsaheylu_!, I thought. I must reach his tentacle. Again I had to escape the animals teeth and it let out an angry screech. His eyes flamed with fiery anger as if I was a poisonous bug he feared and hated.

The adolescent Omaticayas yelled and cheered, some laughed about me but I did not care. Tsu'tey yelled again and this time I did not wait until the Ikran had turned into my direction to attack again.

I ran over to the crag, jumped off of the stones and landed on the dragons back. The animal roared in burning anger and tried to snap at me, I held onto his neck for dear life so he could not reach me.

But then something hit my back and I screamed in pain. His tail had hit me like a bony whip and ripped my skin open. I felt warm blood run down my back but there was too much adrenalin rushing through my veins. Everything around me turned into colors and noises and my stomach revolted. The pain was over soon and I reached out for the flailing tentacle which hit me a few times before I got it in my hand. Do it! I gritted my teeth, the world was upside down, my heart ran a marathon.

Do it now!

I pulled the tentacle against my queue and...

Anna!

Something rushed into my mind, an incredible feeling of fear and anger and blood rage. I crumpled on the Ikrans back and panted heavily. The body below shivered and lost its tension and there it was again.

"Anna!" This time the voice was closer and something touched my shoulder. I had no strength to raise my head and look at my savior but I didn't need to know who he was. I´d tamed an Ikran. It was done! "Anna, oh Eywa, are you alright?" An indefinable sound left my mouth, I was not able to speak. I patted my Ikrans neck and thought: Calm...! Calm down, it´s over...!

And the body relaxed. A soft vibration came from within the warm body and I felt the urge to laugh.

Was that happiness I felt? Pleasure?

_My mistress..._

The voice was deep and warm and I knew I´d may hear it again, hear it all day whenever I´d connect with my Ikran, but I was not scared. "Anna, are you hurt?!"

Hands touched me, helped me up. I granted them to do as they liked and let myself fall. My head hung loosely down, my arms were heavy and all I felt was joy. Nobody had ever told me, that connecting with an Ikran made you feel so...They shook me, I smiled. It´s alright, I wanted to say but my voice refused to work. The warm body of my new fellow sent a new strength into my limbs.

Neytiris worried voice appeared in front of me, hear eyes turned into pools of emotions. "Anna...are you alright?" I smiled at her.

"Don´t worry, Neytiri. Everything's okay." She helped me to sit up and I groaned. The pain in my back was worse than I´d thought. Then I noticed the scene around me: the young Omaticayas stared at me with wide eyes, some of them smiled. Tsu'tey, took a backseat, with crossed arms but the ghost of a smile on his face. Neytiri grinned and patted my hand. "Well done, Anna!", she said and also patted the Ikrans neck. "A male. And incredibly beautiful. But you shall not wait, the first fly seals the bond. Don´t wait!"

"But he needs a name at first!", I objected and tried not to fall when Neytiri pushed me forwards. My eyes wandered over to the abyss and the old fear grew in my heart. I grabbed the tentacles and gulped. Neytiri snorted impatiently.

"Don´t let me fall...Teylar.", I whispered and with that, the banshee opened his wings and jumped into the deep bottomless sea of clouds. It caught my breath in my throat, my eyes filled with tears so I could not see anything. Teylar's body felt safe and warm and so I closed my eyes and hold onto him for dear life. _My mistress, open your eyes. I cannot fly when you´re not with me._

My eyes shot open and the brightest colors and sunlight welcomed me, when Teylar flew above the clouds. Wind blew around me, the smell of fresh air and sun made my skin tickle. I couldn't help but laugh and my Ikran made an approving sound.

I was not scared anymore, somewhere between the sky and the ground I´d lost my fear and Teylar felt it.

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Yaaaaay! ^^ Another chapter done and oh- it just took something over a year!

Sorry for taking so long, I´ll try my bets to update soon.

I´m really interested in your opinion so please tell me what you think!

Love!


	12. A Step into the Desert

Hello everybody, I´ve watched the Avatar movie a couple times now and remembered that -tatatatam- you were waiting patiently for a new chapter of this fanfiction. I hope the waiting was woth it! This time, I cannot apologize for taking so long, some serious stuff was going on through the last few months and I just had no time to write.  
With this new chapter I plan to take a step forwards and let the story keep going. I know my liability to step around in circles and do not make any progress. Some people wrote PM and asked for some romance and especially for Annas future lover, but still, I guess, there's no obvious clue who will win my little Anna's heart. ^^ Fancy!

Well, enough chattering! Please enjoy and review, criticism is always welcome!

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Anna's POV

It would be a small party, they said. It would be fun, they said. Since an hour I´d been trapped in the middle of these women and my feet and legs went numb. Mo'ats chambers were lit in this familiar green light. Six women sat around me, I sat a little bit higher on a small footstool and prayed to God and Buddha to let it be over soon. It was a brand new experience that foreign women painted red and green colours all over my body and sprayed me with essences of roots, herbs and flowers I did not know.

That strange mix of freshness and earthy smells which made me think of a rainforest, was obviously a very rare and precious perfume as the maids gave some clear comments on it. Glancing at Mo'at who sat in the background, she smiled and nodded, I tried to accept my fate. My but hurt the most. Mo'at somehow confident with the results of her servants efforts but she didn´t say a word, she sat on her throne like a queen.

I got dressed and interested as I was to flee this awkward situation, I led my mind back to the days happenings. Not being allowed to dress myself still demanded a great part of overcoming from myself, I just didn´t like it. After all, you wouldn´t know how to dress yourself with these strange cloths and., I told myself and sighed.

„Well, it´s done!"

I blinked and noticed that everyone around me had arisen from the floor and waited for me to stand up, too. Feeling even more uncomfortable, I jumped up from the footstool and looked at Mo' at expectingly. The great lady, dressed in a bright red cloth and with pearls and ribbons in her hair, stepped closer to drape a necklace around my painted neck. It was made of shimmering red corals and pricked a bit, but it was not an uncomfortable feeling, it was something special. Hearing her clearing her throat, I turned my attention back to Mo'at who gave me a very special smile of hers, a rare smile.

„It´s a tradition of our people, to paint a new female hunter with the red of the corals and the green of _Tsyorina'wl_, which you call Cycad. The red symbolises the blood of the sea, the corals: they never bend, they never break, just as you who will be a mother one day. The green symbolises life, as the _Tsyorina'wl_ shares his existence with other organisms and looks over them just as Eywa, the mother of the entirety." Mo'at pointed at the coral necklace.

„I can see the blood of the sea in you, An'a." I´d always liked the way she pronounced my name, so I smiled back at her. „No matter how strong the sea will clamour, you will never bend. This is my gift to you, to remind you of this day and this spirit of being unbreakable."

Tears welled up in my eyes but I tried to hold them back. That moment she reminded me so much of my mother, that I would have liked to scream. If only Jake could see me like this., I thought but then I remembered that he also would be at the party.

„The essences my servants salved you with, are also part of this tradition: whenever a pride is promised to man, her mother salves her with this spirits of the forest." I felt my cheeks heated and looked at the floor as she kept on speaking: „Becoming one of the hunters, means becoming one of the people, being reborn. With this step in your life, you will be free to be courted and to marry. These essences with their unique smell shall spread this happy news to all of our men." The maids giggled and Mo'at, though she still enjoyed herself in the respectability of the spiritual leader, also looked as if she wanted to laugh.

Oh my god. I´d never been in a more awkward situation. It would be a small party, they said. It would be fun, they said. But when I followed the maids downstairs the home tree, it caught my breath in my throat. The great number of twenty fires illuminated the green floor hidden under the trees surrounding the home tree.

Their blurred shadows shivered in the darkness as the flames danced around to the sound of countless drums and flutes, singing and rejoicing. Smells of fire, flowers and roasted meat were in the air, accompanied by the scent of nameless spices and an invisible tension.

The maids around me giggled, parted to join their friends and family and left me standing all by myself, uncertain of what to do. I felt many looks and eyes on me before I cleared my throat in insecurity and made my way down the last few steps into the crowd of people.

Hardly I recognized anybody of the Na'vi surrounding me en masse, there was plenty of company but I felt all alone. Laughing groups of men and woman, youths and children silenced whenever I passed by, their eyes followed me suspiciously and though it couldn't be, though I tried to tell myself that I'd just imagined it, I couldn't help but notice that one or two men sniffed at the invisible veil of essences that unfolded behind me like a banner.

I sighed, quite close to waving the white flag and sit down all by myself, because I´d already given up on finding my brother in the middle of this tangle. This animal-like behaviour and tradition of introducing a new marriageable woman to all the men of the people by bathing her in special essences, appeared quite incredible to me. This had nothing in common with human courting like dating, going on holidays together, cooking, laughing and arguing, had nothing to do with getting to know each other. I mustered the women around me and at last seventy percent had already gone through the same, being mothers or even grandmothers. Actually, they didn't look unhappy or sad, neither embittered nor broken but, well, quite satisfied. If they only make their girls stream precious essences to symbolise their will to marry, do they even know what love is?, I wondered and didn't notice the Na'vi approaching me. A strong arm slapped down on my shoulders and Jake's booming laugh rattled me all through as he pressed me against his chest.

"My brave little sister, I can't believe you became a hunter before me.", he said and laughed. Jake looked different than usually, his hair was pulled back and tied with a green leather ribbon, his arms decorated with green colours and a breech cloth in a darker shade of green. I noticed Neytiri behind him, beautiful as always, with loose hair and a necklace made of feathers, a mesh of colourful pearls wrapped around her body. She nodded respectfully and I smiled back, happy to see some familiar faces but still I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable.

"Thank you, Jake.", I mumbled, slipping out of his grip carefully. Something was wrong about this, maybe that smell his skin exhaled: sweat, iron and oil. Instinctively I slid a few inches to the side, widening the space between us and luckily he didn't notice. It would've been too much to explain though I didn't know myself why I´d prefer to keep distance to my last family member...and brother. And friend.

Neytiri noticed my hesitation but didn't say a word.

"I will give you some privacy.", she simply said and gave me one meaningful glance. "I suppose you have...important thinks to speak about." Then she turned around and disappeared soundlessly.

Jake looked after her for a second, then he turned his attention back to me and grinned. "I couldn´t believe it when I heard Neytiri say you´ll become a hunter today.", he said and gave me a slap on the back, a soft slap as he called it "girl praise". I was confused.

"Wait, how would Neytiri know that I could do it?"

My brother shrugged his shoulders and took the skewer of meat another Na'vi offered him, sniffing on the steaming meal. "Dunno, maybe she's not the only one who believes in you. Your brother here did tremble all along with you and beat up the other non-believers.", he answered, taking a huge bite of the meat just to suck in cool air with a shocked expression. Obviously hot meat.

I felt totally overcharged by the situation and the smell of oil that whirled around my brother stirred my emotional confusion even more: Jake, where have you been? You don´t smell like a Na'vi you smell like...

"Hey, what is that strange smell?" Jake nosed my hair and leaned back, taking another bite of the meat. "Smells like a...flower puked all over you?" I rose a brow but didn't answer, feeling my cheeks redden. He gave me suspicious look as if I was hiding something from him. He didn't know how damn right he was. "It's...uhm...a ritual."

"A ritual for what, making you chase away the flies?"

"No..." I looked at my feet. "It means I'm free to be...well, courted." My brother stared at me and I was sure my head looked like an enormous blue light bulb. "You mean courted like..."

"Getting married, yes. Mo'at said it's part of becoming one of the people." I mustered the people around me with insecure nervousness. "So don´t marvel over boys and men if they come to ask for my hand." My brother nearly choked on his food but I'd expected everything but what happened next.

"Anna, are you mad? How can you let them do this to you?!" His eyes burned with anger and he let the skewer fall, grabbed my shoulders to shake me out of my perplexity. It hurt so I struggled out of his grip once more that evening. "What the hell is wrong with you?!", he yelled at me, ignoring the glances of the people around us.

"What is wrong with YOU?!", I asked back. "Since when does it bother you that I try to fit in instead of standing out all the time? You brought me here and made me do that so why are you freaking out?"

I felt tears in my eyes and tried to keep them inside but he didn't even care for it, grabbed my hair very roughly and sniffed on it again. "Don't you understand? You're not one of the people, you are a girl, a human girl in a cloned body! You can't become one of them, no matter how hard you try!" He grabbed my hand and wanted to pull me up to my feet to drag me over to the home tree.

"I seriously have to speak a word with Mo'at. I'd never have lost sight of you!" This was too much. Hissing violently I ripped my hand free from his claw and took a step back. "No, Jake! Just because you think you know what's best for me, it doesn't mean it IS the best for me! You didn't care about me the last few weeks..."

"That is not true!"

"It is!", I yelled and my hands clenched into fists. "Why do you always have to ruin it when I finally found something? Years ago you nearly beat the boy who brought me the flower ans asked me out for the school dance and when I befriended with Norm you tried to shield me from him and everything but you're not above running to Quaritch everytime I come back from home tree to chat with him about everything I say!" He opened his mouth to say something but I didn't let him, did not care about the Na'vi around us staring at us and whispering. He was my older brother, but that self-righteousness he displayed was more than I could take. I'd expected him to be surprised but to react as if I'd confessed a murder...that was not my brother.

"I hear Quaritch` voice in yours. Yes, I know about it, I'm not as blind as you think."

"You're human! I won't let you marry one of those blue dudes and live under a tree! You will come back with me, got that? You will come back home with me!"

I sobbed noisily, a bitter ice cube blocked my throat and Jake was only a blue shadow in front of my watery eyes. "It's not your choice, your cannot make me!" "I can and will, you're my little sister!"

Fury boiled inside my chest when he tried to grab me again and I knew, he would drag me back to the camp and lock me up inside until his job was over. But first of all he needed to get me.

"Then tell me, Jake, what for I shall return to earth? Why? Where's the reason? To spend my life on a dying planet I´ll maybe die with in a few decades? To eat and drink the ashes under my feet, to breath the smoke? Return to have my mothers and brothers grave steadily before my eyes?!"

I didn't realize that I yelled. But Jake did and he gave me one last glance before he turned around and went away. Simply went away without a word. The people around me were still staring at me but then they understood that nothing more would happen, the aliens would´t maul each other in front of their eyes. My heart pounded rapidly, my skin radiated hot waves of anger so even my tears vanished into steam and dried in my eyes.

Now I understood, that was the sign I had waited for. Quaritch had completely garnished my brothers mind and there was nothing I could do about it. I could only fight.

God damned, I was a hunter, I was a warrior! And speaking of the devil my teacher approached with a heavy expression, followed by a bunch of girls. Though I could´t believe in a shift of our relationship as teacher and student, Tsu'teys face brightened up a little bit when he noticed me sitting all by myself. He came over to me and sat down, watching his grumbling fan club spread with satisfaction, then he looked at me and mustered my extravagant make-up. I felt naked under his glance, I wore nearly nothing but with the essences all over me and my heated skin I kind of suspected this fact as Mo'ats intention. She wanted me so look that way, maybe she even hoped for a proposition that night.

But not from Tsu'tey., I thought and smiled to myself and the idiotic idea. "I see that Tsahik did her best.", he said and mustered me up and down and even nosed my long hair blatantly. "She even adorned you with the precious essences of _Bale'thitan, _the dust of orbs."

"Mo'at called them the essences of _Tsyorina'wl_.",I replied and felt quite dumb when he smiled at me. Tsu'tey never smiled out of nothing. "Of course they are, but they are called the dust of orbs because, well, they shall heat the hearts in the wedding nights." I nodded sheepishly and kept quiet, this was a subject I was not keen on debating with Tsu'tey to give him reason to scorn my daftness.

"Anna, how old are you?", he suddenly asked and looked at me with some shimmer of interest in his eyes.

"Fifteen.", I said and shrugged my shoulders. I felt very young next to him, a grown and experienced men. But he didn't seem to notice my hesitation and insecurity this time, pondering about something. Then he finally said: "Fifteen is a good age, the best. A lot of women around you were already mothers in your age. Your brother should decide very soon."

My brother – hearing him being mentioned by nobody else but Tsu'tey made me angry again. "Jake is not my master, he has no right to decide for me in any way. And after all, somebody has to propose to me at first before I can marry and this won't happen." Because I'm an alien. Tsu'tey didn't say another word, he was busy with staring into space and I didn't want to rip him out of that kind of trance. For me it was much easier if he didn't notice me at all and kept busy with others because I was, that night, too scared of being rude to him. The conversation with Jake had created a wild storm of confusion and anger within me and still I could not believe that we'd fought that hard in front of all these people. My brother, my friend. And now, sitting next to me and being distracted by dancing and singing people, was another sample of that strange species called men.

I will never understand them., I thought and sighed. Then the idea spread all over my brain: I could ask Tsu'tey for help against my brother.

AGAINST my brother, was that really me?

But then I scrapped that plan and examined my teacher closely. How would he react? I'd infuriated a male before that evening, who said I couldn't do it again if they never reacted the way I expected them to do. Something deep inside me struggled against the idea of talking to Tsu'tey about it, what should I've said in the end? I had no evidence, no concrete fact and maybe Tsu'tey would take arms before I'd even ended my story.

I sighed and tried to think about something else, listen to the music and the singing but was ripped out of that try when Tsu'tey said: "It's late, you should go home." He didn't even look at me, he just stood up and walked over to a group of young adults. I was too perplex to react but then I felt the insult: I was not even worth to hear a 'good bye'.

Being brought to the ground again, I watched him for a second and conceived not too friendly feelings for the head warrior. In the same moment my skin started tickling and my eyes burned with sleepiness. Obviously Tsu'tey had been right, I should go to bed, and as if he'd heard my thoughts he grinned and – laughed with a young female Na'vi and caressed her hair. A female that was not Neytiri.

That was enough. Close to tears again I turned on my heels and left the celebration, cramped and tired of being treated like a piece of shit. My brother hated me because I grew up without him noticing it and Tsu'tey didn't feel any favour for me, not even a little. "I'm only a child to him.", I said to myself and started wondering how old he might be. Twenty-five? Thirty? Or even older?

I am a child to you, then you are nothing to me. Stay with your stupid bod, I won't waste another thought on you. With that I'd reached my hammock, lay down and closed my eyes, ready to leave all that behind me: Mo'at and her essences, my stupid brother and Tsu'tey, that idiot. I needed some time to relax and then I was asleep and the familiar kaleidoscope of colours opened the gate of my mind.

Even too weak to open the top of the link unit!, I thought and considered the idea of simply staying in here and pretend I was dead. Yeah, that sounded good to me, no Jake I would wake when I'd go to bed, no Norm who'd look at me with those big eyes and no Grace that screeched I should eat faster so I could get back to the home tree.

They all use you.

Hardly I could bolt out this voice inside my head which whispered to me through that oppressive darkness of the link unit. My breathing, no my whole existence had become a thing of purpose, I'd lost my identity in this team to serve their needs.

A strange sound made me cringe, a strange sound outside my cardboard box. Who would wander in here in the middle of the night, maybe Jake who waited for me? But I condemned this idea remembering our fight and how he'd left. Slowly and carefully concerned about absolute silence I pushed the top of the link unit up into the air and took a peek outside. There was nobody there but somehow I couldn't get rid of the feeling that somebody had been there a minute ago. Rubbing my eyes I opened the link unit enough so I could climb out of it and leave the station with a big yawn. The illuminated corridors looked empty and cold and the unfriendly light urged me to screw my eyes before they felt like burning coals in my head, partly caused by the lack of sleep and the tears I'd shed before.

Again! I stopped in the middle of my movement and scooted back against the wall, following my instincts whose training I'd acquired through the last few weeks. There had been that sound again, a heavy 'tud' as if somebody had remained in the same attitude for a long time and couldn't achieve a balance anymore. I tried not to breath and listened to the emptiness in front of me where I saw nothing but the white floor and walls that led me to my room, turn the corner once and enter the third door. But right of me, a few steps away was another hallway ending into the one I was about to walk along and - I could nearly smell it – somebody was there waiting for me.

A big hand flicked to my face but I didn't feel anything before my head hit the floor and I fell right away on the hard stone. The force of my fall pressed the air out off my lungs leaving a painful throbbing behind my rib cage which spread quickly up my spine into my head. I knew that I was close to black out but I tried to keep my eyes open when men stormed out of the corner, pointing their machine guns at me, hissing muted commands and gesticulated angrily in my direction. Somebody grabbed my arms and pressed them roughly onto my back before he tied them up like two fish at the market so I couldn't move them without causing myself a hellish pain.

I'd experienced it a second later when I tried to look up at their faces, a lightning shot into my bones followed by complete darkness – strange darkness as I was still conscious. The noises around me returned like a steady buzzing before I could distinguish between voices, steps, the hissing sounds of their weapons.

"Carry her.", somebody said and a shock went all through my veins sending my blood too fast and hot back into my heart. Then I screamed.

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Jakes POV

A scream ripped me out of sleep. For a second I assumed that it had happened in a dream because it didn't recur and I was about to lie down again and sleep when I noticed there was only one pair of shoes by the door.

No Anna, I'd have noticed her coming back the second she opened the door to our room. But the clock on the wall told me it was already two in the morning and I was getting nervous. Lifting myself out of the bed, I put myself into the wheelchair and moved over to the door, pushed it open and took a peek outside just to wince back. There were two armed men I looking down the hallway in my direction but obviously they had not noticed me yet, otherwise I would have been out of my relaxing, dark room in a second. Then I noticed something behind them lying on the floor. It was black and rather tall and for a second I considered it as a rolled mat until I noticed that it was moving.

A gasp got caught in my throat and I needed to press my mouth shut before a sound could escape. Behind the soldiers, right there on the floor was a person with tied hands and a sack over her head. Another man who stood next to her put his gun onto his back and bend down to lift her up onto his shoulders. The person struggled under his touch but there was no way out. The black shirt lifted a bit and a grey bra appeared which caused the other soldiers around the woman to grin and nudge their comrades who hadn't noticed it at first with their elbows.

It was Anna.

The man threw her over his shoulder and a muffled whimper escaped my sisters mouth. Another man hit her with the flat hand on the face. My whole body tightened and without without thinking twice I rolled out of the door and yelled: "Let go of her right now!" The soldiers spun around and stared at me, obviously not sure of what to do. The a dark shadow stepped around the corner and stared back at me. Quaritch.

"J-Jake...?", Anna whimpered.

"I'm here, honey.", I said but my eyes didn't leave Quaritchs. Our looks drilled into each other and I hardly could hold down my anger. "What does that mean, Quaritch. My sister was never a part of our deal."

The military leader smiled nearly pityingly and pushed his gun down. "Your sister is a spy. We have security recordings that prove you sisters illegal and disloyal activities."

The information swamped me like ice water. She kneweverything from the start., I thought and never before, never as long as I could remember, I'd felt so horrible and ashamed. "Which doesn't mean that it justifies the way you treat her."

"Yes, it does. I'm responsible for the project security and I'm empowered to eliminate and arrest people at my own discretion. And your sister is too close to the enemy, we have no chance to control her." He patted her head and Anna started struggling again, causing herself even more pain. I literally felt her disgust when Quaritchs big hand touched her face. "You may not believe me, but one day you will thank me, kid."

He turned around to leave but I rolled closer until the other soldiers pointed their guns at me. "Where do you take her?"

"To the security wing.", he said without stopping. "Calm down, Sully. I have no interest in hurting her, I'm not that kind of older men that enjoy to have or beat young girls. As long as she's out of my way and doesn't interfere my orders, I have nothing against her." I couldn't let him get away that easily. "Quaritch, let her go!", I yelled, making a move to follow him. Again the soldiers held their guns in my face until I felt a hit onto the back of my head and fell deep deep deep. The last thing I saw was a drop of blood falling from the tortured wrists of my sister.

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Twelfth chapter ended! I hope you liked it and give me some review! It's not super long but I believe that's not that bad, is it?

Thank you for adding this story to your favourites, thanks to all my followers and new explorers and THAAANK YOU for each review! Love ^^

PS: I changed my pen name but it's still me! ^^


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